


Just Another Day in Paris

by Aishoka



Series: Aishoka's Daily Writing Challenges [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fictober2019, Gen, Interconnected Drabbles, Mentions of PTSD, Parisians are kind, Slice of Life, bad akumas are offscreen, based on season 1 knowledge only, some silly akumas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-08 12:38:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 20,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20835602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishoka/pseuds/Aishoka
Summary: Daily life in Paris has been forever changed thanks to Hawkmoth and his akumas. Everyone is affected and everyone needs to adjust, whether they’re superheroes, former akumas, or just regular citizens. Interconnected drabbles for Fictober2019.





	1. It will be fun, trust me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those words are never a good thing when Chloé Bourgeois says them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Jeanne Chemin, like most people, didn’t mind her job. She was a maid at the most prestigious hotel in Paris, and she worked exclusively for the VIP guest suites. The job could be hard, and some guests could be a nightmare, but on the whole it wasn’t that bad. There were good days and bad days, just like there were good and bad people to work with and to serve. She assumed the same could be said for every job really.

Few jobs, however, had the pleasure of being in close contact with the Mayor’s daughter on a daily basis.

“It will be fun,” Chloé scoffed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “Trust me!”

Sabrina struggled to catch up to her friend who was racing ahead, leaving the redhead to carry all of their school bags and the bag of ‘goodies’ Chloé had prepared especially for school today.

“I do trust you Chloé, you know that, but I just think that- _gah_!”

Some of the books that Sabrina was juggling slipped and, in trying to catch them, the poor girl dropped everything else and ended up tripping over the strap of her bag. She hit the floor hard, knocking the breath out of her, and causing Jeanne to hurry over to see if she was alright. She had worked with Mlle. Sabrina when Mlle. Chloé had brought her class to the hotel for a work experience placement and had a bit of a soft spot for the poorly treated girl.

Chloé turned, took in the scene, then rolled her eyes. “Urgh, hurry up would you.”

“Yes Chloé,” Sabrina nodded even as she was piling books up and throwing papers back into her bag. She grabbed Chloé’s bag of goodies too then paused, checked the contents, and then pulled out a bottle of cleaning spray with an apologetic smile. “Sorry Jeanne. Here you are.”

Jeanne took it with a smile. “Thank you Mlle. Sabrina.” She hadn’t even noticed that Sabrina had picked up her spray by accident in the chaos.

An impatient clearing of the throat from Chloé had Sabrina racing down the corridor again, joining the blonde by the lift doors. She double and triple checked the things in her arms, swapping some books and papers from one bag to the other, until everything was once again in order. A ding announced the arrival of the lift and the two hurried in.

Jeanne waited until the lift doors had closed behind the two still bickering girls, counted to ten, and then groaned aloud.

It suddenly made sense now why Mlle. Chloé had been awake and ready for school on time this morning. _Of course_ she would want to hurry to school when she had a plan to humiliate someone in mind. There was no doubt that was what it was. Chloé’s idea of fun was unique that way.

She parked her housekeeping cart by the wall and hurried to the stairs. M. Lemercier needed to be told about this.

Jeanne found him in the staff room behind the main reception, handing out the daily assignments to the rest of the staff and consulting his ever growing to-do list. She felt a little guilty for adding to it but these things couldn’t be helped.

“M. Lemercier?” she knocked on the door. He waved a hand at her to carry on and she sighed. “Gold code.”

He froze. “You’re certain?”

“She said it will be fun.”

The head butler muttered a curse under his breath and checked through his paperwork. “Alright everyone, you heard Jeanne. We have a Gold Code. Mlle. Chloé is playing a prank on someone and we could be expecting an akuma any moment. Hide the knives, switch out the valuables for the decoys, and for the love of God will someone go to the main doors and tell Mathis to be more careful this time.”

Jeanne slipped back out of the room as he began handing out extra security assignments on top of the regular ones. After the third akuma came looking for Mlle. Chloé the staff had got together for a private meeting and come up with these extra security protocols for the next time it inevitably happened. 

It was depressingly routine for the staff by now.

Chloé Bourgeois bullying someone into Hawkmoth's grasp? Just another day in Paris to them.


	2. Just Follow Me, I Know the Area.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A helping hand is always appreciated when you've been hit by an akuma's powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Claudette really hated akumas. She loathed them.

All she was trying to do was to meet her best friend Jeanne after work so they could grab a few drinks and catch up, but instead she was stumbling around in the dark trying to get out of the way of the akuma. She didn’t even know why this one had been akumatised, though she would bet the mayor's daughter had something to do with it. All she knew was that it had the power to blind people.

Yep. She was blind.

She was blind and trying her best to get away from the battle, which was raging all around her by the sounds of it, but she had no idea where she was, she kept bumping into lampposts, cars, and people, and her four inch heels weren’t exactly helping her stay stable on the pavement. She was going crazy!

Claudette stumbled and tripped into someone but before she could mutter any apologies or an explanation a hand settled on her shoulder and steadied her before trailing down her arm to her hand.

“Just follow me,” a man’s voice said. “I know the area.” He gave her hand a small tug in the direction he obviously wanted her to walk.

“How can that help?” Claudette scoffed. “The akuma makes people blind!”

She could hear a smile in his voice as he replied. “I was already blind.” Sure enough, he guided her hand to his where she could feel a long thin pole held loosely in his grasp. It had to be a white cane.

“Oh.”

“Exactly,” he chuckled. “Now grab my elbow and we’ll get out of here.”

They fumbled for a few seconds while he helped Claudette grab his elbow and position herself next to him in a way that hopefully wouldn’t trip either of them up. Once they felt secure enough they set off at a quick pace that surprised Claudette.

“Will we be alright?”

“In my experience, we’ll be fine so long as we walk away from the noise of the fight.”

That made sense. The battle noise was already fading behind them as they walked down the street. There were very few obstructions, probably because most people had evacuated the area, but her companion was easily able to guide her around the few obstacles they encountered.

“Where were you heading?”

“Hotel Grande Paris.”

“Oh, that’s good,” he said, and she assumed he was smiling. “We’re not far from it. I can drop you off there and someone can help you to your room while you wait this out.”

“Thank you. I’m not staying there though. My best friend works there. We’re meeting for drinks.”

“Well, we’re only about five minutes away. I can get you to your friend and, hopefully, this akuma won’t interfere too much with your plans for the night, Mademoiselle.”

“Claudette.”

“Claudette. Nice to meet you. I’m Pierre.”

She smiled at him, even though he couldn’t see it. “It’s nice to meet you too.” Claudete wondered if it would be bad taste to ask for him number while in the middle of an akuma attack? It wasn’t every day you had your own personal hero to rescue you after all.

Though perhaps it was. Heroes with or without superpowers seemed to be everywhere right now. It was just another day in Paris after all.


	3. Now? Now you listen to me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six words guaranteed to terrify anyone close enough to hear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Claudette and Jeanne never did manage to get out for those drinks on the day the blindness akuma attacked.

A lucky shot had hit Ladybug and Chat Noir had been forced to carry her away from the battle while they regrouped. It had taken a while but the two heroes had returned to the battle rested and ready to kick akuma butt. Ladybug had adapted to being blind fairly quickly but Chat Noir had insisted on her staying out of the way until it was time to cleanse the akuma.

It had been a three hour battle that ended with a fist bump and a fond smile between the heroes. It had also ended in Claudette getting Pierre’s number and a promise of a later date.

Jeanne had to race home after the battle to see to her youngest sister but they had managed to rearrange their night out for cocktails into a morning coffee run at a nearby cafe. They were just settling down at a small table in the corner so that Jeanne could interrogate her best friend about her new man when they heard it.

“_Now_? Now you listen to me?”

“Not here Marguerite!”

“If not here, then where? You don’t listen to me at home, or at work, and you never return my calls.”

Jeanne and Claudette shared a look and tentatively sat down. Their coats and bags stayed on while they watched the bickering couple. They weren’t the only ones in the cafe to be doing so either.

The young couple were obviously tired and stressed out. The dark-haired man had a forgotten cup of coffee in one hand while he was scowling at something on his phone in the other hand. He was visibly stressed out and it looked like he was sporting a nasty tension headache. Marguerite was opposite him, bouncing a fussing baby on her knee. Her honey-brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her make-up couldn’t hide just how exhausted she was right now.

They were both prime targets for any akuma butterfly that might happen to pass by.

Jeanne and Claudette shared a look and shrugged. They didn’t know if they should risk sitting down or not. Both regretted not getting their coffees to go.

The couple were oblivious to the stares they were receiving. In fact, the man didn’t even look up from his phone as he was furiously typing something out. “Because I don’t have the time to phone you. I have a super stressful job-”

“I’m only not at work because I just gave birth you dolt!” Marguerite fumed.

An older couple near the door quickly drained their coffees and left, throwing some money down on the table. A group of young professionals also began packing their belongings up. Claudette sighed and shoved her croissant into her bag. Jeanne started chugging her coffee. It looked like this wasn’t going to be a nice relaxing morning after all.

“I wasn’t complaining about you being temporarily unemployed,” Marguerite’s husband snapped, still not looking up from his phone. “I’m just saying that my job is more pressure now that I’ve had to take on more hours since I’m the only one bringing any money in.”

“And you think it isn’t stressful at home with a colicky baby, while recovering from a c-section, and still having to clean up after you?”

“You’re at home all day!”

“A home you can’t be bothered to help with! All I’m asking you to do is pick up after yourself for once in your damn life to make it easier on me!”

The rest of the cafe patrons started to pack up and leave as the argument got louder and louder. A young couple even turned around and walked out again the second they came through the door. The staff had taken note too and were quietly and discreetly packing the cafe up and securing the till. Jeanne and Claudette both grabbed their coffees and started drinking them on their way out. The arguing couple were still completely oblivious to the room emptying around them.

It was just the reality of life now to be hyper-aware of negative situations in the vicinity.

Fearing every single argument you witness will get you caught up in an akuma attack? Sadly, that was just another day in Paris. 


	4. I Know You Didn't Ask For This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every akuma needs a captive audience to monologue to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Anna knew it was a mistake the second she mentioned to her parents that her university was holding an animal rights rally. Her older sister Jeanne had been giving her a 'shut the hell up' look over the breakfast table but she had been too tired to notice it. Thus, _the Mistake_ was made.

So now here she was, trapped in a cage in the middle of her university campus because _of course_ her mother had wanted to come to the rally that morning and _of course_ there had been enough negative emotion to attract an akuma butterfly and _of course_ her mother was the one it landed on.

"_I know you didn’t ask for this,_" her mother said.

Great. As if being in a cage wasn't bad enough, she now had to listen to her mother-turned-villain monologuing! Wonderful. Just terrific.

"_None of you here asked for this and yet this is what you’ve been forced to endure!_"

Her mother, now the Animal Queen, stalled up and down the row of cages she had created. Each one held a person who had been unlucky enough to be close by when Animal Queen had appeared. Most of them were from the animal rights rally and eagerly hanging on the akumas every word, but Anna had seen a few cages fly into the surrounding university buildings and come out with an entrapped professor or student.

"_Just like thousands of poor helpless animals around the world, those poor creatures are forced into cages in science labs, ripped from their natural habitats and families, tortured, beaten, abused, until finally the sweet release of death frees them from their captivity!_"

Anna noticed the man in the cage next to her shift about and turned to him to tell him off, but she froze. He was trying to surreptitiously take off his white lab coat while Animal Queen had her back to him. He’d obviously been one of the people captured from inside the university, but if her mother realised he was a scientist then things could get very unpleasant for the poor man.

She hesitated only a second before opening her currently empty backpack and shoving it up against the bars separating the two of them. He gave her a look of profound thanks before shoving his lab coat in there and out of her mother's view.

Anna nodded back at him.

She didn't want to see him hurt, especially not by her own mother.

Sure he would be fine once the cure hit. So would her mother. But they would all remember. Anna didn't want that at all.

She just prayed that the superheroes would find them soon. If they didn't, she prayed that her mother would recognise her and she would be safe. Until then she just had to keep her head down.

"_No one takes this issue seriously!_" Animal Queen ranted.

A group of activists cheered her on from the row of cages opposite Anna.

"_No one thinks that all life is important, they only think about their pathetic human lives!_"

There was more cheering but Anna could see several people with their phones out, hopefully live streaming this. If she was lucky then Ladybug and Chat Noir would be here before her mother did anything bad.

"_Well, how does it feel now? Now that you’re the ones in the cages? How do you feel about animal testing now?_"

No one answered. No one dared to. Paris had long since learned that engaging with an akuma never ended well. It didn’t matter who they were before the purple butterfly came alone, they could have been the most calm and level-headed person ever, but the second they turned they became crazy and unreasonable rage-machines. Talking them down was never an option. 

Listening to the villain-of-the-day monologuing while trying to not look bored or attract his attention? Regrettably, just another day in Paris. 


	5. I Might Just Kiss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parisians respond to the influx of akumas with kindness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Jeanne was in the break room, texting Martin and eating the delicious box of deluxe chocolates he had got her for her birthday, when the door slammed open and Eloise stormed in. Jeanne winced. It looked like her talk with their manager didn’t go too well. Eloise was working so hard to prove that she was good enough for this promotion but their manager was being petty about it.

When Jeanne saw the expensive cup of coffee in Eloise’ hand, the one from the high end shop down the street, she _knew_ it had been a bad one. Eloise only went there when things were really bad.

When she joined her at the table, Jeanne immediately held out the box of chocolates. Yes, they were hers, and yes, they were a birthday present from her amazing boyfriend, but Eloise needed the extra boost right now. If she got akumatised because of their jerk of a boss her would find some way to hold that against her too.

Nasty little man.

The older woman blinked at the box that appeared in front of her face, before slowly relaxing and smiling. “I might just kiss you,” she jokingly warned as she opened the lid. “Oh, raspberry truffle! You’re definitely getting a kiss.”

Jeanne snorted. “Don’t let my boyfriend hear you say that.”

“Please!” Eloise waved a dismissive hand. “Two hot girls having a smooch? He’d love it.”

“You’re probably right about that. How are you feeling now?”

“Better,” Eloise sighed, helping herself to one more chocolate before passing the box back. “Thanks again chérie.”

“Hey, we all know our boss is a jerk,” she put the lid back on the box of chocolates and set it to one side. Eloise was in a cheerier mood and those were really good chocolates. She wanted to save as many of them as she could. “Plus he speaks without thinking all the time. Everything he says sounds way worse than he meant it.”

“True.”

“Did I tell you that I overheard Margaux talking? Apparently, he got passed up for a promotion again.”

Eloise scoffed, muttered something that sounded like _‘unsurprising’_ under her breath, and took a sip of her expensive but wonderful coffee. “No wonder he’s being a jerk.”

Jeanne smirked. “Should we give him some chocolate?”

The women looked at each other for a moment, pretending to seriously consider that plan, before bursting out giggling. “Hell no!” Jeanne raised her mug of coffee up and Eloise clinked her take-out cup against it. 

“Thanks Jeanne,” Eloise murmured. “I didn’t really want to risk a butterfly today.”

“It’s no problem.”

And it wasn’t. Kindness didn’t cost a thing. It was something that was becoming more and more prevalent in Paris these days, as everyone sought to help others out and prevent more akumas through random acts of kindness. It was just another wonderful day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter is a little later than normal and tomorrow's will be too. That's because the hubby and I take the sproglet to activities, on trips, and to visit family on the weekends. I will still be doing daily updates, fingers crossed, but Saturdays and Sundays will more than likely be evening updates rather than morning/early afternoon as usual.
> 
> I've had a lot of inspiration for this fic recently and so I've started publising additional drabbles and snippets on my Tumblr under "An Extra Day in Paris." Please feel free to check them out. These are not part of the Fictober2019 challenge though and so will not be updated daily but rather when inspiration strikes.


	6. Yes, I'm Aware. Your Point?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes people just refuse to listen to reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Magical explosions were going off all around them, people were screaming everywhere, and one girl was trying desperately to shake off a smaller but stronger pink-haired girl.

“Yes, I’m aware. Your point?” She screamed.

Alix pulled at her shoulder again. “Alya, my point is that there is a _friggin’ akuma_ right there and we need to leave!”

A tremor shook the ground then and jolted both girls. Alya wasted no time in pulling free from Alix grasp and racing down the street, phone up and live-streaming as she ran.

“I’m getting footage for my blog, you run if you want.”

Alic was quick to follow. “Your boyfriend would kill me if I left you here!”

“Pft, Nino’s a softie,” Alya scoffed and had to dodge a tackle from the smaller girl. “He knows what I’m like.”

“That is not the point here, the point is- _ah_!”

Two blurs, one black and one red, descended on the arguing girls and scooped them up before racing for the rooftops.

“Mlle. Césaire, you really need to stop getting too close to the battle,” Chat Noir scolded the reporter he had slung over his shoulder.

Alix scoffed where she was clinging to Ladybug’s back. “I’ve tried telling her but she just doesn’t listen!”

“The public has a right to know!”

The public merely watched the rescue from the relative safety of whatever shelter they had dived behind when the akuma attack turned into an all out brawl on the streets. They would like to say they were surprised by this scene but they couldn’t.

Watching a reckless young woman put herself in danger just to get the scoop? Sadly, that was also just another unbelievable day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The weather prevented the sproglet enjoying all of his outdoor activities today (how shocking, not!), so we're home for our Sunday Roast earlier than expected. So enjoy the earlier update while I get cooking.


	7. No, and That's Final!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since when did any child ever listen to the word no?

Anna was running late - again - to a double date with her best friend and their boyfriends when the akuma alert went off - again - which was making her even more late to their date - _again_!

For once Anna didn't mind the delay. It might be called a double date but it was actually going to be a three-on-one interrogation about how Anna got her mother akumatised at a university rally two weeks ago. Thank God they were meeting at a wine bar. She'd need the alcohol to get through their teasing.

It didn't seem to be too dangerous an akuma this time. Or at least not dangerous enough for people to leave the streets completely. She was stuck at the back of a large crowd just waiting to return to the small street market that the akuma was currently destroying. Judging by the puns, quips, shouts, and grunts, Ladybug and Chat Noir were already on the scene.

She pulled out her phone to text everyone with an update but an argument in front of her distracted her.

"No, and that’s final."

A few metres in front of Anna was a mother and her young daughter. The mother had a strong gold on her daughter's hand and the young girl, only five or six years old Anna would guess, had a stubborn look on her face.

She stamped her little feet. "But maman!"

"I said no!"

"Pretty please?"

Anna stifled a laugh as the girl changed from stubborn to pleading in the blink of an eye. She had so many memories of little Marie pulling that exact expression on their older sister Jeanne - though Marie had never been as keen as this little girl was to get close to something dangerous.

The mother sighed. “What part of ‘_no_’ don’t you understand, ma chérie?”

“But Ladybug and Chat Noir are _right there_! Can’t I get a quick autograph?”

“They’re fighting an akuma!” the mother practically shrieked and Anna felt a surge of sympathy for her. “They already had to stop the fight once to rescue that Ladyblog girl and her friend; they don't need to have to rescue you too! I said no and that is final!”

“I never get anything I want!”

“I’ll take you home right now if that attitude of yours doesn’t change.”

Anna had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. The poor mother didn’t need any more stress and that little girl did not need any encouragement. She sent out an update text and tried to divert around the crowd and the battle. 

Kids who don’t know the meaning of danger when confronted with an akuma? That was just another day in Paris for thousands of poor, stressed-out parents.


	8. Can You Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teenagers in love will use any excuse for just a few more moments together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Marie was cuddled into her boyfriend as they sat on his sofa and watched the live-stream of the akuma fight on the news. Or at least they tried to. Having the superheroes grab the Ladyblogger and drag her away from the action didn't produce the most riveting or long-lasting video after all, but the news station did show videos from other people too. No one was as crazy as Alya when it came to blog footage though.

Simon leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Can you stay? Just a little longer, please?”

Marie giggled. “You know my parents want me home in half an hour.”

“Please?” Simon tried to give her kitten eyes but they never worked on her and he eventually gave in and laughed with her. “My parents won’t mind you staying a bit long, you know they love you, and there was just an akuma attack.”

“You want me to try the akuma excuse? Really?”

“Why not?” he shrugged, jostling her about. She elbowed him in the ribs for that. Simon wasn’t being distracted though. “I know you don’t want to go home just yet either. Just say you were traumatised by it.”

“But the akuma was miles away.”

That was an understatement. It was three arrondissements away!

“Emotionally traumatised then?”

Marie burst out laughing. “Oh my god you’re so ridiculous”

“Ridiculously in love with you.”

Well the kitten eyes never worked on her but she just about melted when he teased her about how in love with her he was. They were the boy and girl next door and, even though they’d only been dating a few months, they were stupidly in love with each other. She adored that he wasn’t afraid to show his love off to the world.

Plus, he was right. She really didn’t want to leave just yet. They’d had a mountain of homework to do tonight and it had left them with very little cuddle time. Surely another hour at Simon’s house wouldn’t be an issue.

“Fine!” Marie gave it and grabbed her phone. “I’ll see what they say.”

Teenagers taking advantage of any situations they find themselves in? Another romantic day in the City of Love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally going to watch Miraculous season 2!! OMG I am so super excited about this.
> 
> This morning in work I had my holiday time finally approved. I have the end of October until just after Bonfire Night off work and so I am going to binge watch season two at last! Whoop!
> 
> This hopefully shouldn't interfere with the posting of "Just Another Day in Paris" since I have rought drafts jotted down for those days already.


	9. There is A Certain Taste to It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Debating the taste and tastelessness of the akumas is a fun way to spend the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Being roommates with your best friend could be wonderful and terrible at the same time. It was wonderful that they got to see each other all the time, but terrible that their shared flat seemed to be the only place they could successfully spend any real time together.

Since their last few attempts to go out for drinks had failed so spectacularly they had decided to stay in and gossip over junk food and terrible daytime television. They had the junk food and they had the gossip, but unluckily for Jeanne and Claudette akumas were still ruining their marathon talking session.

A garishly dressed akuma was determined to beautify the city and they were two hours into the fight already. Even the news reporters had run out of things to say about the battle beyond giving a blow by blow description. A few of them tried to be as unbias as possible in their reporting, but Alec Cataldi of TVi was ripping its hideous design to shreds.

“There is a certain taste to it,” Jeanne mused, tilting her head and squinting at it. "I guess."

Caludette snorted. “Yeah, none.”

“It isn’t that ba- yeah, ok,” Jeanne sighed. “Even I can’t say anything nice about _that_.”

“I’m getting a headache, nausea, and eye-strain just from looking at it.” Claudette mocked the terrible design, but found that she couldn’t look away. It was the same kind of morbid fascination that made people look at car crashes she supposed.

Jeanne sipped at her cola. “Do you think the akuma created some of those colours just so it could wear them?” she asked, frowning in thought at the TV screen. “Because, honestly, I don’t think that shade of green _existed_ until now.”

“With good reason. It’s hideous!”

“This had better not affect tourism.”

Claudette didn’t bat an eye at the sudden change in topic. “More than it already has?”

It was Jeanne’s turn to snort. “Are you kidding? The akumas have actually _increased_ tourism to the city. Who wouldn’t want to see a real life magical superhero battle?” she asked. Her friend nodded in understanding. She could see how Ladybug and Chat Noir would end up bringing more people into the city. “No, I was on about visitors coming for fashion week. That is _the_ biggest event for us at work. If people see _this monstrosity_ they could think that this is what constitutes fashion in Paris now and decide to stay away.”

“I highly doubt that,” Claudette shook her head and leaned over to steal a caramel from the chocolate box. “They’re more likely to think that whoever was akumatised had utterly _terrible_ taste.”

“But this isn’t the first garish akuma though.”

Jeanne was unfortunately true and both women shuddered as they thought back on some of the akumas that had plagued Paris. Most they had only seen photos of, thank goodness, but they’d also been unlucky enough to see a few horrible ones in person.

Claudette was still convinced that Jeanne was overreacting though. “Alright, so they’ll think that _Hawkmoth_ is the most unfashionable person ever, it still won’t affect the tourist trade badly.”

“Well excuse me for being worried about my job. You work for an accountant firm, I work in a hotel. Whose job is going to be more affected by loss of tourism?”

“Yeah, yeah. Pass the popcorn, will you?”

It’s just another day in Paris when akumas are treated like terrible reality TV shows.


	10. Listen, I Can't Explain It, You'll Have to Trust Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a city full of magic, it isn't that hard to believe in the unbelievable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

After trying and failing for ten minutes to explain the issue with his leg to the two teens in front of him (one of whom clearly believed him, while the other was sceptical), M. Chemin gave up and invited them for a walk around Paris.

“Listen, I can’t explain it,” he sighed. It was not the first time that people dismissed him until they had proof. Seeing was believing after all. “You’ll have to trust me.”

The girl shot to her feet and grabbed her phone. “Ok then, lets go!”

“Wait a minute here my dudes!” her boyfriend immediately protested. “Babe, you’re not seriously going to go off with a stranger you met on the internet, are you?”

“Nino, its fine,” Alya rolled her eyes at him fondly. “Besides, this isn’t a date, this is akuma research, and you’re here too.”

“No, no, He’s right,” M. Chemin agreed. He was glad to see that one of these teens had some common sense about meeting a stranger online. He’d been expecting the Ladyblogger to show up with a few adults in tow, not her boyfriend. “Honestly I’m actually really surprised at how quickly you agreed to meet up. Without any safety protocols either! I’m a 48 year old man, and you’re just a teenage girl.”

Nino nodded. “Exactly! No offence dude.”

“None taken,” M. Chemin assured him. He wasn’t upset by that at all, not when his youngest daughter was their age.

Alya groaned. “Fine, if it will shut you two worry warts up…” she grabbed her phone and snapped a photo of the three of them before furiously typing away on in for a minute. M. Chemin looked at Nino who just shrugged in a way that said to just go with it. Alya finished pretty quickly and stuffed her phone back in her pocket. “There. Location shared, blog post made, all parents notified, friends en route to supervise, and Sabrina will get her dad involved if I don’t check in every ten minutes. Happy?”

“Very,” M. Chemin smiled. It would have been better to do that _before_ she met him but he wasn’t going to argue at this point. He had some proof to show her after all. “Shall we?”

Alya was practically vibrating in excitement as she pulled a reporter’s notebook and pen out of her other pocket while Nino was trying to be supportive but still looking profoundly untrusting of his story.

“Now, your email to the Ladyblog said you can detect akumas thanks to a broken leg? How does that work?”

M. Chemin shrugged. He _still_ didn’t know the why or the how, just that it _did_. “I broke it eight months ago and since then I get a momentary twinge of pain at the fracture point when I’m close to an akuma. You two both were.

“That’s true.”

Nino scoffed. “Babe, that was on your blog.”

She sighed but conceded the point. “Also true. Ok, M. Chemin, time to test this magic leg of yours. Let’s go for a walk!”

Half an hour, multiple check in texts, and five very obvious classmates “in disguise” later, and Alya was doing a great impression of someone on thirty expressos with how much she was bouncing in her excitement.

“Mon dieu, this is real!” she whisper screamed. “Every single person you pointed out was an akuma.”

“That is awesome,” Nino nodded, firmly convinced.

M. Chemin was glad that they finally believed him. “I don’t know how or why but it hurt for a moment when I’m near an akuma. I actually thought it was phantom pains or a bad surgery for a while until my wife got akumatised last month. Then my leg starts hurting whenever she appears and it was the only thing that made sense. The timing of the pains was just too - _ah_!”

M. Chemin suddenly collapsed against the wall, grasping at his leg and groaning in pain. Alya and Nino moved to support him but he waved them off. The sudden stab of pain was already fading, just as it did with every akuma victim he passed by, and he didn’t need anyone fussing over him. He focussed on his breathing to help cope with the pain and pointed somewhere to his right, where his leg was telling him the akuma was.

The sceptical tone was immediately back in Nino’s voice. “You think one of those two was an akuma?”

M. Chemin looked over to where he was pointing and saw a blond boy and a black-haired girl peering through a bookshop window and talking animatedly between themselves about one of the displays. He glanced up and down the street but his leg had definitely meant one or both of them and not any of the other people passing through the street. “Yes. Definitely akumas. My leg hasn’t hurt this much since I broke it!”

Alya also scoffed. “Those two?”

“Dude, those two were never akumas. They’re our best friends.”

“My leg doesn’t lie!”

To M. Chemin it felt like they were back at square one. Nino didn’t believe him, Alya wanted to but the proof wasn’t good enough, and he was just desperate for someone to believe him. He’d lived with this leg for months, had test after test done, documented every single pain to look for commonalities… the only explanation was that it hurt when an akuma victim was in close enough proximity to him. He’d tried going to the authorities about it but had gotten nowhere. The Ladyblog was his last shot to get people to believe him.

“I’ve got it!”

Alya’s sudden shriek startled them and everyone around them on the street. Quite a few gave her strange looks, and a wide berth, but she didn’t care.

“You’ve picked out akumas on the street and in tests today. Marinette and Adrien have never been akumas, we know that, _but they have been around hundreds_!” she was bouncing in place in her excitement. “Don’t you get it!”

“Are you saying they make his leg hurt more because they’ve been around the rest of our class?”

“Yes!” she shoved her notebook into one pocket and grabbed her phone out of another and began furiously typing away. “We were akumatised, so we trigger his leg a little, but those two have been near hundreds of people as they turned, they’ve been made into minions, they’ve been exposed to so much akuma energy, they must be off the charts!”

“Babe that doesn’t make sense. We’ve been minions and- Alya, wait!”

She was halfway down the street before either man had realised she was running. “No can do babe! I’ve got a blog post to write! Thanks M. Chemin!”

Nino was left to make a quick goodbye to the still-pained M. Chemin before racing after his crazy girlfriend. The older man just shook his head. Her blog posts did nothing to capture her enthusiasm for all things akuma-related. Personally though he agreed with Nino. Just being around an akuma who was turning wasn’t enough, his wife had been around three before she was akumatised herself and she didn’t set his leg off at all until after she became Animal Queen.

Strange magics at work and a hyperactive blogger chasing a conspiracy theory? Just another crazy day in Paris. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly my favourite one to write so far. Alya is just so crazy. She's such a fun character to write!


	11. It's Not Always Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nope. Sometimes it's worse!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

While the at home junk-food-and-gossip day had been fun, nothing beat going out for actual drinks with your best friend. Or at least that’s what Jeanne said when she told Claudette to meet her in this little cafe today. They were going to have coffee and cake here before meeting their boyfriends at the cinema to watch the new superhero film and then dinner and drinks at a fancy restaurant.

Claudette couldn’t wait.

She had been looking forward to this for so long that not even the akuma attack going on outside could damper her enthusiasm. She was pretty used to akumas interrupting her dates with Pierre or coffee mornings with Jeanne, so it wasn’t that big of a deal anymore. Jeanne was a few streets over waiting out the attack, they’d still get their coffee and film and dinner today.

Her good mood wasn’t shared by the nervous looking couple at the window table next to hers. They were obviously tourists and flinched every time an explosion happened, or a minion ran by, or anything else magical. She couldn’t help leaning over and offering them some comfort.

“It's not always like this,” she smiled.

The wife wilted in relief and her husband began to relax too. “Oh thank god,” she sighed. “I was really worried we’d see another monster - this is the second one we’ve seen on our holiday so far!”

Claudette shook her head. “Oh no, you’ll definitely see more monsters - they’re called akumas by the way - but it isn’t always like this.”

“You’re joking right?” the husband demanded after seeing how pale his wife turned. “That was just a stunt for the new Ultimate Mecha Strike game, right?”

“No and no.” Claudette felt really guilty for doing this to them but they were woefully underprepared for visiting Paris right now. “That really was a giant robot shooting death rays from its eyes.”

The wife whimpered. “I think I’ll faint.”

“You don’t need to worry. They aren’t all like this - some of them are very boring and you don’t find out about them until after the fact.” Claudette fought a cringe. She wasn’t doing so well at this comforting thing, was she?

The cure swept through the city then and, after a few moments of disorientation, the former minions shrugged it off and went about their day as normal. The wife whimpered again.

“I’m going back to the hotel,” she declared, standing and grabbing her things. “I need to lie down.”

“I’ll come with you darling. I need a drink.”

Claudette watched them leave, glad that she hadn’t mentioned the three akuma attacks they’d had yesterday. She was clearly terrible at offering comfort. One thing was certain though, after their conversation about tourism and akumas the other day she absolutely _could not_ let Jeanne know what had just happened.

Tourists wondering if they can get a refund on their holiday? Just another normal day in akuma-infested Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that chapters 12 and 13 will be posted later than usual because the hubby and I take the sproglet out and about on weekends. I'm aiming for them to be only four ish hours later than normal but who knows? To make up for it I will be answering all of your reviews on Sunday. Have a lovely weekend everyone.


	12. What If I Don't See It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people wouldn't know logic and reason if they bit them on the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Since their girlfriends were busy and they had no peace and quiet at home, Benjamin and Nicholas decided to head to the university library and join their friends in a study group. Anna, Benjamin’s girlfriend, had a huge architecture project due soon and was going to be working on it all morning, while Clara, Nicholas’ girlfriend, worked in a small office two mornings a week. Neither girl would be free until late afternoon and so the boys decided to do some school work to kill time.

Jules was doing politics and his homework was about the recent laws passed to aide Ladybug and Chat Noir in their fight against the akumas. Naturally, he pulled the other three into the discussion with him, and they were debating akumas powers and legalities until Remy said something so incomprehensible that they had to stop and ask him to repeat himself.

“What if I don’t see it?” Remy repeated himself.

Jules blinked. “How does that even make sense to you?”

“It’s like the dinosaurs!” he sighed, his expression saying he thought they were silly for not following him. “If you don’t move then it doesn’t see you and it doesn’t attack.”

Benjamin snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No, no, I’m right about this, you guys. If I don’t make eye contact with it, if I don’t _visually engage_ with it, I’ll be safe. It’s worked for me so far.”

The other three stared at him in stunned disbelief. Was he actually advocating closing your eyes and pretending it didn’t exist as a viable method for dealing with akumas?

Nicholas broke the shocked silence. “You’ve been _lucky_ so far!”

Jules nodded. “What you said makes no sense! You can ignore it all you want but it will still see you and _it will still come after you_! You’d be a sitting duck!”

Nicholas, who was majoring in film production, he another argument to ass. “Besides, that stuff about T-rex not being able to see you if you stand still is a lie.”

Benjamin backed him up. “Yeah. Scientists have proved that t-rex had good eyesight.”

“It was made up just for the film,” Nicholas confirmed with a grin. “And what a great scene that was. High drama.”

Jules steered the conversation back to the akumas and hopefully saving their friend’s life. “True. But even if the akuma couldn’t see you, which it clearly could since you’re the one stood there with your eyes closed, it could still hear you and smell you. It could still find you!”

“Exactly! Remy, please listen to Jules. Standing still and closing your eyes _will not_ help you survive an akuma attack.”

Remy scoffed. “You guys are wrong. I know I’m right about this.”

He was met with three disbelieving stares before, as one, his friends stood up and left. If he wanted to test his theory they wouldn’t stop him. They weren’t sure they could even if they tried.

A suggestion so mind-bogglingly stupid that it makes you wonder if the average IQ in Paris is decreasing due to the frequency of akuma attacks? Yep. Just another day in Paris. 


	13. I Never Knew It Could Be This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the City of Love, there are some people who don't like romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

“_I never knew it could be this way. I never knew love could be so wonderful._”

“_You’ll never have to wonder again, mon amour. Not while I’m here with you._”

“Oh my god can you turn that crap off!”

An irate thirty something man stormed towards the counter of the sandwich shop towards the surprised looking boy behind the counter. He started pointing at the TV and gesticulating wildly as he told the poor boy in no uncertain terms what he thought of the programme that was on the TV. Half of the patrons watched the argument while the other half tried to carry on watching the TV.

Clara had put her order in and was waiting for it to be made, though it looked like the argument was going to cause a bit of a delay. She had been one of the few not watching TV - a romantic dramatisation of how true love’s kiss turned a monster back into a human. She was pretty sure it was meant to be a retelling of the Stoneheart fight. Things like that were very popular on TV these days.

Clara sighed and turned to Anna who was scrolling on her phone next to her. “I think I agree with the jerk over there - only I wouldn’t have said it in as nasty a way as he did.”

Anna snorted. “Yeah, I agree too.”

“Really? Miss Loves-all-akuma-themed-things actually hates a daytime romance about akumas?”

Anna rolled her eyes. “It isn’t so hard to believe Clara. The acting was terrible and the writers had to have been on drugs to come up with that dialogue. I like akuma themed things when they’re good, like _Architecture or Akuma_, not like _that_!”

Clara eyes her friend critically. “You binge-watched that this morning, didn’t you?”

The blush that crossed her friends cheeks was answer enough. “Maybe?”

“So if I hadn’t asked you to meet me here on my lunch break?”

“I would still be in pyjamas on my sofa at home.”

Clara giggled. “At least you’re honest about ignoring school work for TV.” Anna suddenly pointed towards the counter and Clara took that to mean her sandwich was finished. “I’ll go and grab my lunch and you can tell me if your friends work appeared on the game show on the walk back to work.

Anna shook her head. “Uh, Clara…?”

“What? Did _your_ work make it onto the show?”

“Not that. _That_!”

Clara finally looked in the direction Anna was pointing and sighed. _Of course_ the angry man screaming at the poor counter staff was akumatised. Looks like she wasn’t going to make it back to the office once her lunch break was over.

People getting akumatised over ridiculous television shows? That was just another day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the far later than normal update today. The family and I had a mad busy day.
> 
> Special thanks go to the hubby for giving me the idea for this little chapter today - his exact words, "That sounds like a terrible tv romance." And voila, this was born. For some reason my brain kept trying to write about maps and directions but this works so much better. He's a good one is my hubby. And I'm not just saying that because the sproglet nearly drowned him when we went swimming this morning and I now feel guilty because all I could do was laugh at him. Not at all.
> 
> Thank you also to everyone who has left kudos and comments on my story. As I promised earlier I will answer all of your comments tonight.


	14. I Can't Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With akumas on the loose all the time, businesses need to change with the times to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

The last thing M. Bardet needed to hear on this busy morning in the office was exactly what he heard when he picked up the phone to answer Clara’s call.

“_I can’t come back._”

“If you don’t you’re fired,” he snapped. 

It was the worst possible timing of this call. They were already two people down due to illness and a hugh client had asked for their work to be done a whole week ahead of the agreed upon schedule. He needed everyone at work who could be there and if Clara wasn’t going to show up again then he’d just have to cut her loose and hire someone to take her place.

She sighed on the other end of the line but didn’t sound angry. “_Boss, look at the news. I can’t come back from lunch because I am one of the akumas hostages_!”

“Oh?”

He scrambled for the remote control and turned the TV on to the local news station. Sure enough, they were streaming live footage from the Ladyblog who was recording the ongoing akuma attack. The bright green villain of the day had people trapped inside a sandwich shop while he bellowed demands into thin air, expecting the superheroes to show up any second. Behind him were about ten very bored looking hostages, including Clara who had the gall to wave sarcastically at the camera. 

“Damn it,” he groaned. He couldn’t fire her now. Not for this. “When will you be free?”

“_I don’t know! Ladybug and Chat Noir aren’t even here yet_!”

She was whispering down the line to him to avoid drawing attention to herself and he found himself speaking in a softer tone too. “Your pay is going to get docked for this, you know. Unless you stay extra to make up for what you missed.”

“_Yeah, yeah, I know,_” he could see Clara nodding her head on the TV. “_I was at the staff meeting that explained the new akuma protocols. Will I still get the hazard pay bonus?_”

“Only if you’re more than an hour late getting back to your shift,” he grabbed a pen and paper to take note of the time of the call and the akuma attack. The forms for that hadn’t arrived from head office yet. Movement on screen caught his eye. “Hey, get off the phone. The akumas is coming back inside!”

She hung up immediately and he saw the small image of her on TV shoot a thumbs up to the camera. M. Bardet groaned again. He had to organise overtime pay to cover her work until she was freed and perhaps hazard pay if this turned out to be a long fight. Why couldn’t things be simple anymore?

He walked out of his office to where the rest of his team were furiously typing away at their computers. He had to knock on one of their desks to get their attention.

“Ok people, Clara is an akuma hostage so I need volunteers to stay and work cover until she is freed and comes back.”

“Again?” Jerome scoffed. “This is the third one this month.”

Celine shook her head sadly. “I can’t stay, I need to pick Louise up from nursery in an hour.”

M. Bardet expected that. This was the only day when Celine couldn’t help out and Jerome never volunteered if could avoid it. He turned to look at Adele who was already checking her diary.

“I can give you half an hour if that helps?” she finally offered.

M. Bardet took it because it was better than nothing, and prayed that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be on scene soon. He needed Clara back in the office and he needed some painkillers for this stress headache that was forming. Damned akumas. Always at the worst possible time.

You know it’s just another day in Paris when akumas become a nuisance and a minor hindrance rather than a disaster.


	15. That's What I'm Talking About!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's worst day turns them into the best akuma ever (in Chat Noir's opinion).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

"_That’s_ what I’m talking about!" Chat Noir whooped in delight as he arrived at the scene at his Lady's side. “It’s about time we got an akuma like this beauty!”

Ladybug groaned. “_Chat_! Focus!”

“But my Lady! It’s a _chocolate akuma_!”

The poor soul who was upset enough to be akumatised today had lost out on an award for best chocolatier in Paris. Top spot had again gone to the Tessier family of chocolatiers, for the twelfth year in a row, but the man who won second place was not happy about that. He believed his treats deserved to be recognised as the finest in the city and now, thanks to Hawkmoth, he was determined to prove it.

“It’s still an akuma, Chat!” Ladybug tried to get his head back into the fight, but to no avail.

Chat was the proverbial kid in a chocolate shop as he bounced excitedly on the roof next to her. “Look! Look, it’s handing out free samples! Can we? Please?”

Evidently, that was the akumas plan to prove they were the best chocolatier in Paris. They were going to drown the eager citizens in free samples. There was a quickly growing crowd clamouring around the akuma, snatching the delicious offerings out of the air almost as fast as the akuma could make them. Ladybug was sure she even heard someone say 'akuma chocolates don’t count as real calories because of the Miraculous cure' as they dove into the fray.

And Chat wanted to join that crowd? The poor boy was actually drooling as he took in the sight.

She was sure her eye was twitching now. “Weren’t you ever told not to take sweets from strangers?”

“But- but- but _chocolate_!”

“Fighting now, snack time later!”

“Promise?”

Yep. Her eye was definitely twitching now, and the urge to throttle him was rising. “Oh my god are you really using kitten eyes on me _in the middle of a battle_?”

“_Please_ Bugaboo!” Chat’s kitten eyes, if possible, grew even wider as they begged her for this favour.

“Urgh! Fine!” Ladybug snapped. She regretted the day she ever told him about her weakness for kitten eyes. Not that that was why she was giving in. Absolutely not. No, she was giving in because it was the quickest way to make him actually do some work! “I promise we can have snacks _after_ the fight!”

With a whoop of delight Chat Noir leapt back into the battle. Ladybug shook her head and followed, muttering about that stupid cat under her breath. It was just another day in Paris when the spotted superheroine was super stressed out.


	16. Listen. No, Really, Listen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound of silence can be an ominous thing... or can it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

A late-night akuma battle right outside his home had unfortunately kept Martin up all night. His roommate Paul, who was usually a sound sleeper, had also been kept awake by the commotion and was finding everything irritating this morning. Quite frankly, Martin wanted to ditch him and then go home and get some rest.

Tempting as that was he couldn’t. Paul was a gourmet chef and Martin was desperate for his help in selecting food for tonight. As Paul was leaving this afternoon to visit family for a week, Martin had invited Jeanne over for a few days and was hoping to wow her with some beautiful food.

Though, with how he was feeling right now, even popping a frozen pizza in the oven was going to be too complex for him. He was utterly exhausted.

Paul suddenly stopped. “Listen.” He looked worried. “No, really listen.”

Martin frowned. There was nothing to listen to. “I don’t hear anything.” What on earth was Paul going on about now?

“Exactly.”

“Exactly what?” Martin said. He didn’t see what was so strange about the shop being quiet… although why was everyone just stood quietly by their shopping baskets? And why was that old woman glaring at him? He wasn’t...Oh! Oh dear. “Oh no!”

“Right!” Paul hadn’t reached the same conclusion as Martin had. “It’s got to be an akuma.”

“Shh!”

“Don’t shush me.”

Martin wished that Paul would just take a hint for once. “Shh!”

“I-”

“Paul, shut up. It’s Remembrance Sunday!”

Paul immediately clamped his mouth shut and turned a deeper shade of red than the tomatoes he had just picked up. Both men wished for the ground to open up and swallow them whole. Both keenly felt the disapproving glares directed at them from the other shoppers.

Being so used to akuma attacks that when the city falls silent you suspect a battle is imminent and get glared at by people on the street? Yep, another embarrassing day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Embarrassingly, this is based on something that actually happened to me. It was years ago, when the sproglet was a newborn and the hubby and I were incredibly sleep deprived, and we popped round the corner to Asda for some nappies. Being utterly exhausted and oblivious, we carried on chatting for most of the Observed Silence until we realised why this little old lady was glaring at us. This was the only scenario that came to mind for this prompt. Oops.


	17. There Is Just Something About Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That blond boy is certainly myserious. And somehow familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Anton Beauvais owned, in his opinion, the finest fromagerie in Paris. It was a small family-owned and run business right in the heart of the 21st arrondissement. They had a wide clientele come through their doors - from Hotel Grande Paris gofers fetching something to satisfy a guest’s craving, to local families doing their shopping, forgetful people rushing in to buy the cheese they need for the recipes they’re cooking right now, and the local bakers wanting to experiment with new flavours of cheese bread.

They served everyone, but no one confused Anton more than the blond boy who slipped out of his shop after buying his camembert.

“There’s just something about him,” he muttered to his wife.

Blanche sighed. “So you’ve said dear.”

“I know you don’t agree…”

“At all.”

“...but I _know_ I’m right,” Anton insisted, ignoring her interruption. “There’s something odd about a kid coming here in disguise just to buy cheese.”

“He’s hardly disguised, dear,” Blanche scoffed as she set a plate of blue stilton down in the display. “He just wears lots of different fashions, that’s all.”

Anton snorted at that.

A few different fashions was an understatement. The first few times the boy had appeared he had been wearing fairly high-end clothes and designer shoes. Even his black hoodie was tailored to him and Anton swore they were designer sunglasses on his face - at least a few thousand euros.

His clothes had become more varied after that, some well-tailored, others baggy and oversized, some big-labels and others looking like they came from the local charity shop, but they all followed the same theme. The boy always made sure his face and eyes were disguised and avoided looking straight at either Anton or Blanche. 

Blanche carried on. “He’s probably one of those kids trying to find a style that suits him.”

“But what about the money?”

“What about it?”

“He always pays cash, and it’s always large denomination bills. For _cheese_? Something is up.”

Anton was a little ashamed to admit he had checked the boy’s money to see if it was a forgery the first few times he came in. But there was nothing suspicious about the boy’s money, even if his demeanour was.

“Calm down dear. He’s probably working for one of the local restaurants or something like that. They must send him out for ingredients when they run out.”

“But it’s only ever _camembert_!” Anton protested. That was the other strange thing. The kid never even looked at any other type of cheese. “_And_ he’s here once a week! What restaurant uses that much camembert?”

His wife sighed and Anton reluctantly dropped the matter. There was just something about the disguised blond boy that bothered him.

Anton wouldn’t get any answers until a month later when, in the middle of an akuma battle, Chat Noir burst through the doors and slapped a €100 note on the counter.

“I need your smelliest camembert _right now_!”

Anton wordlessly retrieved the cheese from the counter and handed it over to the hero who ran out again shouting his gratitude over his shoulder. Anton blinked, looked at the bank note in his hand to reassure himself that, yes that _did_ just happen, before grinning and turning to his wife.

She sighed. “If you even _think_ about saying I told you so then you’re sleeping on the sofa tonight.”

Worth it. “I told you so, love.”

She scowled and stormed into the back room leaving Anton to man the front of shop. Yes, he might be sleeping on the sofa tonight, but it was so worth it. He knew it. He _knew_ there was something odd about that boy, something mysterious and secretive, something unusual. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the disguise-loving kid would be Chat Noir!

It was certainly better that his theory that their mysterious customer was the Agreste kid sneaking out to ruin his model diet in a fit of teenage rebellion. He couldn’t wait to tell his daughter later. Claudette would be stunned - not only did he meet Chat Noir but he proved he was right!

Anton had a smile on his face as he got back to work, preparing the display for the customers. He made a mental note to always have the really good camembert in stock, and to slip a few extras to the disguised hero whenever he could. It was just another day in Paris for Anton as he did everything he could to support his best customer.


	18. Secrets? I Love Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawkmoth is delighted to find someone frustrated about secrets. Someone who wants more of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Clara could only think two things as she saw the butterfly mark appear over her boyfriend's eyes.

The first was that she had no idea that Nicolas was so upset about this. He seemed only slightly annoyed earlier, and easily distracted by their lunch date, so she had no clue he was going to become the akuma du jour. She would have tried to stop it from happening.

The second was that her boss was going to kill her or make her start eating lunch at the office. This was the fifth time she had been caught up in akuma shenanigans this month. She was so going to get fired for this.

Clara quickly opened up her camera and snapped a photo, sending it and a description of what was going on to her boss, to Anna, and to the Ladyblog. Maybe this would be resolved in time to make it back to work?

"Secrets?" Nicolas said. "I love secrets."

"_I'm so very glad to hear that, my Akuma._"

Clara shivered. Heaving Hawkmoth's voice from out of nowhere was chilling.

"_I will give you the power you need to uncover all of the secrets in Paris - especially those of Ladybug and Chat Noir. All I ask in return is one simple favour._"

"Anything. I'll do anything if it means I get my secrets."

"_Very good. All I want are Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculouses. Can you do that for me, my Secret Eater?_"

Nicolas smiled in a way that send chills down his girlfriend's spine. "It would be my pleasure, Hawkmoth."

The second the purple bubbles appeared over his form Clara bolted. She did _not_ want to stick around for this particular akuma.

Not because he was her boyfriend (she had known akuma victims before) and not because she was at risk (Nicolas knew she didn't have any secrets and so she was unlikely to be a target) but because she feared Hawkmoth's reaction when he found out that the secrets that had been upsetting Nicolas were chocolate bars.

Nicolas loved those chocolate bars. He'd had them on a family trip to England years ago and only just found out that the snack he loved had been discontinued. He couldn't find them anywhere and now he had been given the magical powers to get as many as he wanted.

Yep. Clara could just imagine the temper tantrum the Supervillain would throw and she _did not_ want to see it.

A frustrated Supervillain who just could not find the one akuma he needed to win among the sea of annoyed, angry, and upset people in the city? Just another very lucky day in Paris for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just reminding everyone that the weekend updates will be posted much later than normal and that as a thanks for your patience I will do my best to answer all of your reviews on Sunday. Since all of you seemed to like the chocolate akuma from Chapter 15 (and who wouldn't? I'm with Chat Noir here, best akuma ever) here is another one to enjoy on your way into the weekend.


	19. Yes, I Admit It, You Were Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, with so many women getting annoyed about this, it's a wonder this akumas hasn't already happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Jeanne and Claudette were stood in the middle of the street, attempting to hold their boyfriends upright as they groaned in pain, and watching as today’s akuma turned her sights onto another man.

He tried to run away, somewhat foolishly, but was quickly caught. The akuma held him up by the scruff of his neck and poked his stomach with one finger. They both glowed red for a moment and the man immediately screamed in pain. The akuma just laughed and asked him the same question she had asked all the other men who were whimpering on the street.

“Yes, I admit it, you were right!” he screamed, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Tears were coursing down his face. “You were right, you were so right, I don’t know what I was thinking before. This hurts!”

“_I know I’m right,_” the akuma smirked. “_Soon every man in Paris will know that too!_”

She dropped the poor man in her grasp and he immediately curled up into the foetal position, grasping his stomach and sobbing into the crook of his elbow. His wife was by his side immediately, rubbing his back in a comforting manner while trying not to let him see her holding back her laughter.

As far as akumas went, Code Red had to be the most hilarious. For the women of Paris at least.

Akumatised because her boyfriend wouldn’t believe her about her agonising period cramps, she was determined to bring all the men of Paris to their knees by making them feel her pain. There probably wasn’t a woman around who hadn’t wished the same at one point or another. Even Jeanne and Claudette had wished the same, and they knew they were lucky to be blessed with understanding boyfriends unlike the poor woman who got akumatised.

It was a safe bet that the thirty or so men moaning and crying in pain on the street right now would never mock the women in their lives ever again.

There was another flash of red on the street, but this time it signalled the arrival of Ladybug… and only Ladybug.

She surveyed the scene on the street quickly, eyes taking in every detail, but even she couldn’t help the small quirk of her lips as she watched the other women trying not to laugh at their dramatic men.

“Hey, Code Red, over here!”

“_Ladybug_!” Code Red turned around with a snarl but then froze when she saw the heroine standing alone. “_You know the pain I’m talking about, but where it your little cat sidekick? He needs to know that pain is not a joke!_”

“He’s around.”

“_Then call him out. He needs to feel this!_”

“I will in a minute, I just wanted to ask you something first…” Ladybug smiled at the akuma. It was a seemingly nice smile but the glint in her eyes betrayed her intentions. “Does Hawkmoth really agree with you about this, or is he just lying to shut you up? He is a guy after all, right?”

Code Red blinked. “_He… He… **Hawkmoth**_!”

She shot a burst of red light into the air and it disappeared over the rooftops. If you listened closely enough you could just about hear the agonised scream of an evil butterfly villain as he sank to the floor weeping, clutching at his stomach, and begging for the pain to end. And he only received a mild dose of cramps too.

Code Red nodded in satisfaction. “_Thank you, Ladybug. I did indeed overlook that minor detail._”

“He didn’t believe you either, did he?” Ladybug nodded sympathetically.

“_No. He was lying to me. But I showed him!_”

“Excellent!” Ladybug smirked. “Do you know what would really teach him a lesson though? He’d never doubt a woman’s pain again if we got Chat Noir to cataclysm his stomach, would he?”

A vicious but delighted grin appeared on Code Red’s face. “_Oh, I love the sound of that!_”

It was at this point that most of the women on the street gave into their lights of laughter. Because, really, how could they not laugh? Was this really how Hawkmoth was going to be defeated? Because of a period?! It was almost a shame it had taken this long for him to akumatise a woman frustrated by her period.

Watching the heroes outsmart the villain? Priceless! Just another weird and wonderful days in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my hubby.
> 
> It was the sproglet who first got the family into watching Miraculous Ladybug (he adored the music and animation) and after the thousandth time of watching it the hubby and I got a little bored. So we messed around with canon, made up alternate storylines, added in real life people, thought up new akumas, etc, etc - anything to give ourselves new material to work with.
> 
> This one was the hubby's idea. He said Hawkmoth would never survive akumatising a woman on her period. Particularly me because I'm vicious. I really don't know where he gets these ideas from.
> 
> See hubby, I told you I would write one of your ideas.


	20. You Could Talk About It, You Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A problem shared is a problem halved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Simon looked around the library. Though everyone appeared to be studying, every so often someone would glance over to their table and then look away quickly. It was as if they thought just looking at poor Henri would make them the next monster.

They were all idiots.

When Henri had been akumatised yesterday he had been offered the rest of the week off school but had decided to come back after only a half day off. There was too much work to do, he had claimed. Simone knew it was actually because his parents and brother were looking at him strangely after his akumatisation. Just like everyone in school was doing too.

Simon wasn’t used to people treating akumas like this. He attended Collège Françoise-Dupont, the school that produced the first akuma, the school that produced the most akumas in Paris, they were not such a big deal.

It was obviously very different at this lycée. He was here on a two day introduction to the school as he had been offered a place there for the next academic year. Henri was coming from a different collège but they played on the same sports team and so already knew each other. Marie had been offered a place here too but her introduction was next week. He had sent her a text about how fearful and suspicious these lycée students were and she was just as stunned as he was. This was the new reality of Paris, why were they being so hostile?

Simon nudged Henri, who was still staring at the same page of his chemistry book. “You could talk about it, you know?”

“What is there to talk about?” Henri snapped back.

“You were just-”

“Shut up, Simon!” Henri lifted his head only long enough to glare at his friend before burying it back in his book. “I was angry enough to be akumatised yesterday morning, the superheroes beat me up and I got cleansed, end of story.”

“I’m just saying, I-”

“Enough. Let’s get back to the books. That test won’t write itself.”

Simon sighed but did as Henri asked. They really did have a test to study for. He just wished there was something he could do to help his friend. Henri was only the third person at this lycée to have been akumatised and he didn’t even go here yet. His transition to lycée was going to be awful if the horrified glances were any indication.

Simon’s parents had been delighted when he had been accepted to the safest lycée in the city but even they weren’t bothered by an akumatisation happening at the school. He couldn’t understand why everyone was avoiding Henri and the others. He didn’t know how to help him when being an akuma was seen as shameful in this lycée, and not accepted as just being a part of life like it was at Collège Françoise-Dupont. 

Someone walked up to their table and shoved a small piece of paper on top of the book Henri was pretending to read. He blinked, looked at it, and then frowned up at the unknown girl.

“What’s this?”

“An email address. Obviously.” She rolled her eyes.

“I can see that, but why are you giving it to me.”

“Don’t spread it around but they can help you. They helped me.”

The brunette girl disappeared then as quickly as she arrived, leaving two confused boys behind her. Henri shot Simon a look but he just shrugged. Neither had any idea what it could be about until they actually read the email address on the paper.

“Mon dieu!”

_Bugandcatteamofparis_

Henri stared. “This is…”

“Henri, don’t let anyone see that.”

“But this is-”

“For you. To help you!” Simon grinned and turned back to his books. He might not be able to help Henri but the superheroes of Paris certainly could. “I didn’t see it. I don’t know what was on that piece of paper. Nor do I have any idea who you could be emailing.”

“Thanks Simon. What did you get for question three?”

Finding out that the superheroes were there for you even after the fight? Yeah, that was just another pretty amazing day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus another weekend packed with activities and visits for the sproglet draw to a close. Thank you again for accepting that the weekend chapters will be posted far later in the day than normal. As thanks I shall answer all of your wonderful reviews from the last week.
> 
> I'm glad that everyone seems to like the slice of everyday life I'm showing, especially the chocolate related akumas. Hands down best akumas ever. The cheese shop was one of the scenes I had planned from the start and I am so pleased that everyone liked it. It was one of my favourites to write. This one and some of the following ones will be showing a slightly more downbeat side of daily life in Paris now but I hope they will be as enjoyable as the previous ones.
> 
> My favourite one of all was Chapter 19 though, partly because the hubby (in a way) helped to create that one. As I said yesterday it was the sproglet who got us into watching Miraculous Ladybug. He's into Transformers and My Little Pony now (oh the joys) but since the hubby and I were pretty much watching season one 24/7 thanks to the sproglet we had to come up with something to save our sanity (and if anyone has tips on surviving robots and magic ponies, please share).
> 
> Thus the game of, what if X was akumatised was born?
> 
> Somtimes we'd use real people, like our moron of an ex-neighbour, or celebrities - the hubby was very interested in seeing an akumatised Marry Berry, if only because she would feed him cake. Sometimes we would come up with scenarios about the worst akuma ever and most of them ended up being bad for Hawkmoth like in yesterdays chapter. As well as Code Red we also had an akumatised lizard enthusiast who tracked Hawkmoth down (since lizards often eat moths and butterflies) and a sun-worshipper who wanted to get a better tan (since HawkMOTH would undoubtedly be drawn from his lair to the big bright shiny thing). If anyone wants to use those ideas then please feel free, for I doubt I shall any time soon. Personally I do think Hawkmoth would be just stupid enough to create an akuma he would be at risk from.
> 
> Normal posting times of around 1pm (UK time) will resume from tomorrow.


	21. Change Is Annoyingly Difficult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fortune cookies are getting in on the act now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

After Martin’s embarrassing trip to the shop last week, and the disaster of Code Red, he decided that a good night out was in order - providing of course that another akuma didn’t interrupt this one. Jeanne had spent a mostly quiet week staying with him and offered him the wonderful suggestion of a double date with Claudette and Pierre. Martin chose his favourite restaurant and they had had a wonderful time. They’d even managed to forget about akumas for a short while.

“_Change is annoyingly difficult,_” Martin said then burst out laughing. He held up the fortune from his cookie. “I think that’s the most bland and non-specific one I’ve ever had. Your turn.”

Jeanne giggled and cracked open her fortune cookie. “_Lucky numbers, 03, 11…_ wow, I thought these lottery number fortune cookies were a myth!”

“Are you going to play them?” Claudette smirked.

“Hell no.”

“But the cookie told you to. They’re lucky.”

“Shut up,” Jeanne snorted and very maturely stuck her tongue out at her best friend. “What does yours say?”

Claudette shifted slightly from where she was curled up against her boyfriend and grabbed her cookie. Pierre gave her arm a small squeeze. “Will you read mine too, love?”

“Sure,” she leaned up and kissed his cheek before grabbing his from the table too. She snapped both of them open and pulled the fortunes out. “Mine says _‘Never be selfish with advice or help’_ and Pierre’s says _‘Put your unhappiness aside, life is beautiful’_ \- they’re sweet, I guess, but really vague and generic.” Pierre chuckled and nodded his agreement.

“I’m sure I heard that on the news the other day,” Martin said. Jeanne scoffed and rolled her eyes at that but he ignored the interruption. “No really, it was that new piece on the local news, the one with Nadja Chamack, the one about preventing akumas? Remember?”

Claudette perked up. “Oh yeah, I know the one you mean. I heard some people at work talking about it - it didn’t sound that impressive.”

Martin laughed. “It wasn’t.”

Pierre tried to say something nice about it. He’d listened to it on his trip to work the other day and hadn’t found it too objectionable. “It could have been a bit better. There were meditative techniques and breathing exercises, which I guess is good if you’re into that sort of thing, but it basically boiled down to be nice.”

“But we _are_ nice.” Claudette pointed out. The four of them certainly were, and there were more random acts of kindness in everyday life now thanks to the akumas. Being nice wasn’t a problem.

Jeanne shook her head. “That doesn’t matter, and besides, not everyone is Paris is.”

“Oh no,” Martin realised what Jeanne was talking about and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “What tantrum did the brat throw now?”

Claudette and Pierre both winced in sympathy. No one could say that Chloé bourgeois was a nice person.

Jeanne shrugged. “Just the usual, but that’s exactly my point. Most of the city is nice, save for a few bad apples, but that hasn’t stopped akumas. It only takes a person having one bad day out of hundreds of good days to become an akuma.”

That was the sad truth of it. People could be the nicest and the kindest they had ever been but al long as Hawkmoth was out there it would only take one small moment of less-than-positive emotions for someone to become an akuma. Being nice and kind was at best only a was to temporarily delay an akumatisation.

Claudette sighed. “Well then I guess that’s why we have inane fortune cookies. We can laugh at them and make our moods happier.”

Pierre snorted and Martin and Jeanne laughed aloud. “Cheers to that!”

The four friends raised their glasses in a toast and moved the conversation on to happier things, such as what they could do on their next double date, and whether it was worth going to the cinema again so soon. It was left unspoken that they were determined not to bring their modd down tonight. Denying Hawkmoth a chance to akumatise them was just another day in Paris for the four friends.


	22. We Could Have A Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Former akumas have to have something to look forward to in Collège Françoise-Dupont.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Marie and Zoe were studying hard in the library at Collège Françoise-Dupont and sneaking it bites of their lunch when they were sure that Mme. Peltier, the librarian, wasn’t looking in their direction. She loathed people having food near her precious books but what else were the girls to do? They were swamped with work and couldn’t study properly in the dining hall and there was nowhere else in the school where they could possibly study and eat in peace. There was just too much noise.

Zoe finished writing her essay in bullet point form and threw down her pen with a sigh. “We could have a chance,” she murmured to Marie as she rubbed her aching wrist.

It took Marie a while to realise just what Zoe was on about. When the penny dropped she stared at her friend in shock. “You seriously think so?”

“Sure! We're super stressed out right now, it wouldn't take much to akumatise either of us.”

“Yeah, but the rules say we can't force ourselves along.”

Zoe had of course been referring to the Collège Françoise-Dupont ‘prize’ for the unlucky student who was akumatised.

It had been started by Alya Césaire about a month after Hawkmoth first started terrorising the city. It quickly became obvious that their school was getting more than its fair share of akumas, no doubt due to one bonde menace of a daddy’s-girl, and she was worried about the former akumas facing further bullying. Ivan had been stared at for weeks, with people going out of their way to avoid the first akumas, and she didn’t want that for the rest of the school.

It was an open pot. Anyone could put anything in the pot and it would be given to the next student at the school to be akumstisd. It was a sort of consolation prize. You might have temporarily attacked people but look at all the goodies you’ve just won!

Alya was the first person to donate to the prize pot when she started it, but quickly dragged her best friend into her little scheme. The rest of their class soon followed. The former akumas were always the most generous with their gifts but soon enough everyone was adding a little something every so often. It could be small things like novelty pens and notebooks, or big things like school equipment, and the one and only time Chloé Bourgeois contributed to the prize pot after her own akumatisation she put €200 in.

There were few rules about the pot. You couldn’t donate something and then take it back. You could donate something and then refuse to give it to whoever was next to be akumatised if you didn’t like them. And you absolutely could not try and trigger your own akumatisation if you happened to want something in the pot.

Zoe shook her head. “Who's forcing anything? We have five exams in the next fortnight, three major homework assignments due next week, a group project worth a third of our grade, and between us we also have five extra-curricular classes to attend... Not to mention al the catch up work from when we missed school because of the three akuma attacks last week.”

“And that's just school…” Marie sighed.

“Exactly. _Just_ school.”

“You know, you might be right. We could actually have a chance at the big prize.” Marie nodded, wondering if it was a good or a bad sign that she wasn’t bothered at all by her potential impending akumatisation. She didn’t want to put much thought into it though. “What will you do with your winnings?”

“Probably buy my favourite junk food. Anything to get me through these next few weeks,” Zoe smiled.

“I'm tempted to do the same, but I think I'll put it towards that spa trip.”

Her older sister Jeanne was a maid at the Hotel Grande Paris and got an employee discount for their luxury spa. Once school finished for the summer the three sisters were going to treat themselves to a girl’s day at the spa. If Marie won, and if there was any money in the pot, she would definitely put it towards that spa trip.

“Oh, that sounds awesome!” Zoe sighed. She wanted a spa trip of her own but her pocket money wouldn’t stretch that far.

“What's the pot up to now?”

“Uh, let's see…” Zoe grabbed her phone and logged on to the schools website. The perks to having one Alya Césaire run the school blog and main website as well as managing the akuma prize pot - it was always easily accessible. It had actually be updated at the start of lunch too. She read the list out to Marie. “Three bars of chocolate, a ticket for a Dupain-Chenge bakery selection box, €30, a few fancy pens, a kitten notebook-”

“Really? Let me see!” Marie yanked the phone out of Zoe’s grasp and just about stifled a squeal as she saw the cute little kitten on the pocket notebook. “Awww! I want it!”

“Well if you're the next akuma in school it's yours. Or I’ll give it to you if I’m next.”

Marie snorted and passed Zoe her phone back. “They're really not supposed to be making this appealing. What else is there?”

* * *

Marinette and Adrien walked back to their library table in something of a daze. They’d got up a few minutes ago to fetch some books for the history project they had been partnered together on when they had overheard the not-so-quiet conversation at a nearby table.

Marinette blinked in shock. “Were they... did I just hear that right?”

“You mean did you hear them talking about the school prize for who gets akumatised next? Yes, you did.” Adrien shook his head and quickly pulled out his phone.

Marinette set their books out on the table but didn’t make a move to open any of them just yet. She was still too preoccupied with what they had just overheard. “Is that actually a thing?”

“Apparently so. I just text Nino, see,” he passed her his phone to show her the reply form Nino, confirming when and why it had been set up for the students of Collège Françoise-Dupont. “This is the first I've heard about it though.”

“I'm both shocked and yet not.”

Adrien shrugged. “I know. This is just another day in Paris for the two of us.”


	23. You Can't Give More Than Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone knows that only the superheroes can deal with an akuma, but it doesn't stop the everyday heroes of Paris from trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

In hindsight, this akuma should have been seen coming weeks before it happened.

Clara was one of the unluckiest people in Paris. That was a fact. Though she had never been akumatised himself she had been present at the site of nine different akumatisations. The only ones who had been around more were the unlucky children at collège françoise-dupont. The truly unlucky thing was that Clara had a knack for picking the cafe or restaurant or sandwich bar where an akuma was going to happen when she went out for lunch.

It was treated as a bit of a running joke in the tiny little office she worked at. Or at least it was a joke to everyone but poor Adele Simmonet.

She had volunteered to stay longer and cover her shift the first few times Clara had been held hostage. It wasn’t like it was Clara’s fault after all, no one could predict when or when and akuma would happen, and she had needed the extra money that month for a few surprise bills. But now M. Bardet seemed to expect it of her. He stopped asking Jerome and Celine completely and just kept foisting more and more work onto the already overworked Adele.

They should have seen it coming.

When Clara phoned up for the ninth time in only ten weeks to say she couldn’t get to the office because of an akuma that was the final straw. M. Bardet immediately stacked an armful of folders onto Adele’s desk, a desk she had just cleared so she could go home, and marched straight back into his office. Adele was fuming. She had a life of her own. She had other responsibilities outside of work. She wasn’t even asked this time.

Twenty minutes after the Miraculous Cure swept through the city another butterfly was released and it went straight for Adele.

Adele, now Mme. Surmenée, was quick to take the whole office hostage. This included M. Bardet, her lazy colleague Jerome, a handful of customers, and the only recently returned Clara.

Clara had begun to fear that this akuma would be her last one. Mme. Surmenée was certainly focussed on her in particular while M. Bardet cowered in the background. Fortunately for her there was an everyday hero in the office that day and when Mme. Surmenée began to monologue he stepped in to try and talk her down.

Amazingly, it was working.

“You can’t give more than yourself,” he nodded in agreement. “It’s impossible. Your boss was wrong to demand so much of you.”

“_I know_!” Mme. Surmenée screamed, glaring at the terrified man in the corner. “_He kept taking and taking and **taking**! I have a life of my own outside of work!_”

“He needs to respect that. You help whenever you are able to.”

“_I’m not the only one in that office!_” she glared at Jerome’s unconscious form in pure loathing. He had fainted almost as soon as the butterfly had appeared. “_Jerome never works extra, he barely works when he’s supposed to, and Celine doesn’t offer to help nearly as much as she could, and Clara…_” Mme. Surmenée turned to face the obviously scared girl. “_She should have been fired already for frequent lates! She’s the whole reason I’m in this **mess**_!”

“I was only late because of akumas!”

“_That’s no excuse!_”

Clara winced as the akuma screamed at her. She knew she shouldn’t have said anything, she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself. Being late because of an akuma was no reason to lose her job - it was now a legal requirement not to penalise anyone for akuma related lateness or absences.

Her saviour quickly jumped back into the conversation. “It is and it isn’t. She has been really unlucky, yes, but the problem isn’t Clara its the situation at the office.”

Mme. Surmenée was quickly redirected. “_M. Bardet is the problem! Demanding too much of me and not even asking others!_”

“You need him to respect your boundaries. No is a complete sentence.”

“_**Exactly**_**!”**

****

****

“He shouldn’t pressure you or guilt you into taking on extra work.”

****

****

“_He shouldn’t!_” Mme. surmenée smirked and turned towards the corner of the office her boss was hiding in. “_And when I’m through with him he **won’t**_!”

****

****

“Not so fast!”

****

****

Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally made it onto the scene and quickly engaged the akuma in battle.

****

****

Clara sank down in relief and shot her civilian rescuer a look of gratitude. He gave her a brief nod back and relaxed the best he could while stuck as a hostage.

****

****

Clara had never been more grateful that one of their usual customers was a psychologist. He’d been able to successfully distract the akumatised-Adele from inflicting any major damage on either her or M. Bardet. It had been touch a go for a few minutes but he had undoubtedly saved their lives.

****

****

Clara made a note to talk to Adele once she was cleansed. She had no idea the other woman was struggling at work so much. Hopefully Adele would stick up for herself and say no a bit more often. Clara would also do her best to try and eat lunch at the office more often. She had never intended to get caught up in as many akuma attacks as she had, it was pure dumb luck, but she hadn’t realised the full extend of the toll it was taking on her colleagues. She supposed that she had just got so used to thinking of akumas as just a normal part of a day in Paris to see how they were affecting everyone.

****


	24. Patience... Is Not Something I'm Known For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akumas are everywhere is daily life now. _Everywhere_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Anna grabbed the remote and turned the TV volume up, shooting a halfhearted glare at her best friend who just smirked and took another loud slurp of cola. She didn’t want to miss a second of this show!

On the screen, the familiar face of Alec Cataldi was grinning. “_Patience… is not something I’m known for,_” he joked and wrapped an arm around the quiz contestant, a nervous looking fifty-something man. “_I’m going to have to rush you here. You’ve got forty-eight seconds left on the clock, so what’s it going to be: Architecture or Akuma?_”

Clara snorted. “I can’t believe you like this rubbish!”

“Shut up,” Anna snapped. “It’s the best!”

“It’s ridiculous, that’s what it is!” Clara snorted. Anna scowled and threw a few pieces of popcorn at her, then burst out laughing when she managed to catch one in her mouth. She quickly ate them and pointed at the TV. “Oh come on, it’s obviously an akuma. Just say it already! Akuma!”

“Are you so sure?”

“It’s ice! It’s obviously a photo from Stormy Weather,” she leaned over and stole another handful of popcorn. “Say it! Say it’s an-”

“Akuma!” the contestant shouted, with three seconds left on the clock.

Klaxons began blaring and red light flashed as a giant red ‘x’ appeared on the screen. Clara gaped. It wasn’t an akuma?

Alec laughed at the poor contestant and pat him on the back. “_Oh, sorry pal, but that’s actually architecture. That meant you lose the ten thousand euros and the car. So sorry, bye-bye loser. Next contestant please!_”

Clara gaped. “How the hell?”

Anna smirked at her. “It’s one of the mayoral sponsored university programmes - combined art and design and architecture. Theo Barbeau’s statue of the heroes proved to be so popular that the mayor reached out for more Superhero and Akuma art to all the Parisian universities. _That_ is Marcel’s piece.”

“Oh, of course, the architecture student wins every time.”

“You could always just say that you like it.”

“I don’t! It’s awful! I just can’t believe they actually made a quiz out of this!”

Anna snorted, but she privately agreed. It seemed like everyone was going Suerphero and Akuma crazy these days. Probably because no one had any idea how long they would be around for, not even the superheroes themselves, and so everyone wanted to turn a profit on it while they still could.

Thus it was just another day in Paris as she watched Clara throw some popcorn at the screen and argue with the obviously wrong contestant.


	25. I Could Really Eat Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It is also the way to fry Marinette's brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Collège Françoise-Dupont was known as Collège Akuma to most. It had started in the tabloids and eventually found itself into public consciousness and finally onto the Ladyblog. It did make sense after all. A significant number of akumas were connected with the school and it was the only place in Paris where akumas outnumbered non-akumas.

Most were of the opinion that it was the presence of one Chloé Bourgeois that gave it such a large number of akumas (though they made sure never to mention that within earshot of her or her father).

Whatever the reason, the students were all used to the continual disturbances to their day. Most of them planned ahead, knowing that akumas always chose the most inconvenient times to attack. Extra pens, extra notebooks, a spare phone charger, emergency cash - all things routinely found in the bags of Collège Françoise-Dupont students. Most of them also brought extra snacks in case an akuma should appear during their lunch break and they couldn't get a meal from the school canteen. Those that didn’t bring food were usually the students who went home to eat.

Adrien sighed as he walked up to the classroom. “I could really eat something.”

“Dude, you were just at lunch.” Nino frowned then groaned. “Don’t tell me there was _another_ akuma?”

Adrien nodded. “The _one day_ I manage to convince Nathalie to let me eat at school, we get an akuma during our lunch break and I didn’t get anything to eat.”

“Man you are seriously unlucky!” Nino commiserated.

He had been upset this morning to realise that Adrien was eating lunch at school on the day that Nino had agreed to eat lunch at home with his family, but now he was kinda glad that he had missed it all. Lunch akumas were the worst since everyone had low blood sugar and everyone was cranky.

They took their seats in the classroom and Adrien dropped his head onto the desk, sighing loudly. His stomach grumbled.

Nino gave him a consoling pat on the back. Normally he'd have some snacks in his bag, chocolate bars, crackers, a drink if some type, but he hadn't refilled his stash. Everyone else in their class who routinely carried food had probably eaten it already, so he couldn't ask anyone else, and the bell was going to sound in two minutes. Poor Adrien.

Nino was just considering running across the road to the bakery for something for Adrien to eat, consequences be damned if he was caught skipping school, when the door opened and Marinette walked in. His eyes zeroed in on the large bakery bag in her hands and he smiled. He should have known their class rep wouldn't let anyone go hungry.

“Hey guys!” she greeted.

Adrien’s head snapped up so fast that Nino though he was going to get whiplash. Seriously, who was Adrien trying to fool by denying he had a crush on the cute designer.

Alya had come through the door straight after Marinette and she had also seen Adrien's lovesick puppy impression. She shared an exasperated look with Nino before rolling her eyes at their two friends.

Marinette, of course, was oblivious to all of this. “I brought snacks! Who wants some croissants?”

Adrien was reaching for the offered treat before she had even finished speaking. “Oh my god I love you!”

Four things happened at once. Marinette made a sound similar to a choked-squeak, Nino snorted, Alya cackled, and Adrien realised what he had actually said and turned beetroot.

“Way to go Adrien!” Alya managed to say between laughs. “You broke Marinette!”

She loved it when Adrien got so hungry he lost his brain-mouth filter. Marinette had such varied and humorous reactions to him. It was just another hilarious day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that the weekend updates will not be posted at their regular time and I will be answering reviews on Sunday. Have a great weekend everyone.


	26. You Keep Me Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akumas always think their problems are so much more important than they actually are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

“_...you keep me warm, you, you keep me warm, all your cigarettes and cup of coffee…_”

Claudette groaned and buried her head in Jeanne’s shoulder. “Oh god make it stop!”

Jeanne just whimpered and shoved her fingers further into her own ears.

This akuma was _torture_.

They had had yet another girls’ coffee date interrupted by an akuma and this one was horrible enough to make them wish they’d never left home this morning.

The coffee shop they had chosen for their girls’ date seemed fine at first. They had queued up for their drinks, found some comfy chairs to sit in, and chatted for a while before there was even any indication that something was wrong. 

In the far corner of the shop sat two girls, one of whom was desperately trying to console the other for failing her singing audition. It had been the role of her dreams but the panel of judges had turned her down for her barely average voice and terrible song selection. The girl was distraught and an akumatisation was inevitable.

Once she had transformed she was determined to prove that her voice was the best and that the song she had sung, her favourite song ever, was perfect. 

Jeanne and Claudette had immediately hidden under the table but the barista and a few other customers weren’t so lucky. They had been hit with the akumas power and immediately started singing that awful song. The customers were ignored by the akuma because their singing voices weren’t good, but the barista was another story. Her voice was beautiful… until the akuma stole it. Now she was left standing their, croaking out a terrible song, unable to stop herself.

The cacophony of four terrible voices singing the worst song they had ever heard over and over and over again was almost enough to drive Jeanne and Claudette mad. All they could do was hide, pray that the akuma didn’t find them, and wait for the cure to sweep through the city.

It was just another day in Paris when people used akumatisation to inflict their problems onto others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two important thank yous for this chapter. The first goes to the hubby for pointing out that this prompt sounded like a song lyric. I was curious enough to google it, hated the first song I found, but then voila, this chapter was born. The second is to reviewer BenRG on AO3 - a previous review of yours gave me the perfect summary for this chapter.


	27. Can You Wait For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why does an akuma attack when you least want it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Claudette reluctantly unwound Pierre's arm from around her shoulders and stepped away from him and Martin to answer her ringing phone. She needed to remember to put that on silent before they went into the theatre.

The phone was barely to her ear before she could hear Jeanne shouting. "_Can you wait for me_?"

"Hello to you, too," she snarked. She checked her watch. "Have you not left yet? The show starts in twenty minutes."

"_I was supposed to be halfway there by now but the roads are closed thanks to this damn akuma!_"

Claudette groaned. "Another one? Now?"

Sure enough, there was an akuma alert on her phone. She didn't know how she missed that. It was rampaging through the 7th Arrondissement, typically the one where Jeanne and Claudette shared a flat together, and all traffic in and out was being diverted. Jeanne's taxi wouldn't even attempt to pick her up until the cure went out.

Claudette was so glad that she had spent last night at Pierre's home or she would be stranded too.

She sighed. "We'll lose our seats if we wait for you."

"_What? Why? I didn’t cause this akuma!_"

"That doesn't matter to the theatre managers," Claudette pulled her ticket out of her bag and double checked the fine print on the back. "No refunds for akuma-related non-attendance, seats will not be held, no liability for ticket being damaged, blah, blah. Sorry Jeanne."

"_You’re kidding?_" Claudette could just about hear the sounds of Jeanne's heels as her friend paced angrily through their flat. "_Urgh, anything to turn a profit. Greedy managers… oh wait, there’s the cure!_"

"Great! If the taxi shows up soon, you’ll barely miss anything."

"_You’re going in without me?_" Jeanne shrieked. "_Can’t you wait for me?_"

"Nope."

They really couldn't. They'd been planning this double date for months and the tickets were pretty pricey. They couldn't afford to reschedule this just because Jeanne was held up by an akuma. It wasn't that long of a trip to the theatre, if she was lucky she would make it just as everyone was taking their seats. 

"See you soon!"

Claudette ended the call, ignoring the shouts that were coming from the device, before hurrying back to her boyfriend and Martin to tell them the bad news. Trying to go on with life as normal with constant interruptions from magical villains? Again, just another stressful day in Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank flip that this weekend is over. Sorry that the 26th and 27th chapters have been so late but the sproglet was unusually hyperactive and hard to tire out this weekend. I won't go into detail about him here, you want to read my fanfic not my personal life, but you can bet I'm going to put his crazy antics all over my tumbr. Normality will resume tomorrow and there will be no more weekend interruptions to my posting schedule because Fictober is drawing to a close.
> 
> I actually cannot believe that it's nearly the end of Fictober and that I have actually managed to write and post daily. Ok, so I didn't actually write up each chapter in full every day. With my sproglet I knew I wouldn't have time. They were all drafted beforehand and only finished up on the day. Still though this is honestly an impressive achievement for me. I am definitely going to be doing another challenge like this.
> 
> Now, onto your reviews.


	28. Enough! I Heard Enough!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone knows that one person who just doesn't know when to shut up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

The second the bell rang at the start of their lunch break, Alix grabbed Mylène’s hand and dragged her out of the classroom. Mylène barely had time to wave goodbye to Ivan and blow him a kiss before they were out of the door and racing from the school.

Mylène didn’t blame Alix. Not really.

They were partnered together on a literature project and had been doing some pretty good work on it until they made the mistake of being in the same room as Alya Césaire. It was really hard to study when the self-proclaimed expert on the superheroes kept shoving her phone in your face to show you her latest blog post, or a submission she had received, or another photo of the heroes, or her latest theory on the identities of the superheroes, or footage from the most recent akuma battle, or…

Well, there were more ‘ors’ than a rowing team. 

Alya was enthusiastic. Everyone knew that about her. She just didn’t always realise when her enthusiasm was bothering others.

And Alix was _bothered_.

She had been unfortunate enough to get caught up in a few akumas with Alya and now was one of the Ladybloggers favourite victims-- audience, her favourite audience, for her blog posts. Alix had done amazing well at reining in her temper but she was close to her breaking point.

Mylène had noticed and recommended a local cafe for their lunch hour. The food was good, it was well within their budget, and they could work as they ate. Alix had jumped on the suggestion and now here they were.

They both ordered a light lunch of soup and a sandwich and after a short wait they took their food to a quiet table in the corner. They had it set up as a cozy study nook in no time. Alix was just starting to relax and get into their project when it happened.

“Enough! I heard enough!”

“Oh, come on now, Adam, I’m just theorising.”

Like most Parisians these days, Alix and Mylène had a finely-tuned akuma-radar. Arguments like the one a few tables over were sure to create a blip on that radar.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the type of disagreement that would call a butterfly to them. The man who was theorising looked determined and excited, while his friend Adam had a look of resigned suffering on his face. They were clearly old friends rehashing an old argument. They weren’t likely to risk a butterfly unless the argument got really heated very quickly.

Alix and Mylène relaxed a fraction but kept an eye and an ear on the argument. Most of the cafe was doing the same.

Adam sighed. “And when will you get it through your head that you are the only person in Paris _other than Hawkmoth_ who wants those Miraculous!”

“I don’t want them! I’m just curious!”

“Well you know what they say about curiosity.”

“I am not a cat, and therefore it does not apply,” the other man smirked and took a sip of his coffee. “But seriously, aren’t you even just the tiniest bit curious as to why he wants them? What’s the big deal about them?”

Adam sighed. “Maybe I am a little curious, but I sure as heck am not as obsessed about it as you are. I respect the heroes for what they’ve done for us, what they’re still doing for us, and I’m not going to pry into their business like this.”

“I’m not-”

Adam scoffed and turned to face the rest of the cafe, completely unsurprised that everyone there was blatantly eavesdropping on his conversation with his friend.

“All those who think we should just let the superheroes be, raise your hand.”

Without hesitation, every hand in the cafe went up, and Adam turned a smug grin on his friend. The other man scowled and looked around the cafe, seeing the completely unrepentant stares of the other patrons, and a fiery glare from Alix that had him flinching and returning his gaze to his coffee mug.

Adam took a sip of his own drink to hide his smirk. “It’s fine to be curious, but acting on that curiosity could stop them from doing their job and saving us. Trust me, you want them available if you happen to be the next akuma.”

“I guess.”

“Curiosity isn’t a bad thing, but please, for the love of god, stop blabbing about it everywhere you go! The Ladyblogger puts enough theories online for the world to see, Ladybug and Chat Noir do not need the rest of Paris joining in. You never know who could be listening, after all.”

Judging by the stunned expression on his face, Adam’s friend hadn’t even considered that until now. “Oops?”

When their conversation turned from superheroes to football everyone else in the cafe stopped paying attention. There was no need to eavesdrop once the risk of a butterfly had passed.

Alix scowled at their literature books. “One lunch. That’s all I wanted. _One. Lunch_!”

“Sorry Alix.” Mylène reached across the table and patted her hand consolingly. “At least it’s over now. And he was easier to shut up than Alya normally is.”

“Yeah. Do you think he’d give her the same speech if we asked?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m going to try.”

“Alix, no!”

“Alix yes!”

Being unable to go one day without hearing yet another theory about the heroes? Yep, that was just another annoying and stressful day in Paris - especially if your name was Alix Kubdel.


	29. I'm Doing This For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adulting is hard but sometimes you've just got to do it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Anna had not expected to be confronted with an uncertain and worrying Clara when her best friend had asked her to meet at their favourite little cafe on their university campus. And certainly not on one of Clara's busy days.  
  
While Anna had a fairly even distribution of classes, Clara's were all loaded at the start of the week this year. Monday's and Tuesday's were full of lectures and seminars from dawn to dusk and on Wednesdays she worked the morning shift at the office before hurrying to the rest of her lectures.  
  
They rarely planned to meet up on those days because of how busy Clara was.  
  
Anna tried to put it off at first, they could catch up later in the week, but Clara insisted that it had to be Tuesday. It all made sense when Clara started talking. It had to be before her Wednesday morning shift at the office.  
  
"I'm doing this for you," Clara said. She groaned and pulled a face. "Urgh, no, that sounds like I'm blaming her. And that I expect her to thank me."  
  
Anna nodded. It _did_ sound a little like Clara was blaming Adele for her decision to eat lunch at the office from now on. Clara hadn't realised that M. Bardet was only making _Adele_ pick up the slack of her akuma related absences until Adele had got akumatised herself. The best way to stop that happening was to stop leaving the office for lunch. But Clara didn't want Adele feeling guilty for her decision, hence the dilemma and lunch with her best friend.  
  
Anna shrugged. "So why don't you just go with the whole fed up of the akumas excuse? Because you _are_."  
  
"I know," Clara sighed, idly stirring the tea she had bought. It sat next to her untouched meal while Anna's food and drink were both half gone. "But what if she asks why it took ten akumas to get fed up? Or what if she thinks I'm scared of her now?"  
  
"So you don't want to make her feel bad, and you don't want to let her know that _you_ feel bad about it..." Anna summed the problem up. She drained her drink and set it down with a decisive thud. "I got nothing."  
  
"Could you tell her for me?"  
  
"No! What are you, three? Just do it."  
  
Clara scoffed. "Some help you are."  
  
"I don't have the answer Clara. You're just going to have to act the adult you're supposed to be-"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"- and just go through with your idea!" Anna finished, ignoring her best friend's pout.  
  
"I know, I know. Why weren't we told that adulting is hard?"  
  
"Our parents want us to suffer as they did."  
  
Clara snorted and tapped her mug to Anna's empty one. "Cheers to that."

* * *

  
In the end Clara chickened out.  
  
She didn't want to make a big song and dance about this change in her routine or draw attention to Adele's akumatisation. It wouldn't go down well with either Adele or M. Bardet.  
  
Besides, she sometime ate lunch at the office, so it wasn't too out of character. She hoped.  
  
Adele smiled at her and took the seat next to her in the tiny little room they used as a break room. She unpacked her own lunch and wirelessly handed over a bar of Clara's favourite chocolate to her.  
  
Clara took it with a bemused smile. "What's this for?"  
  
"It's a thank you."  
  
"What for? Not that I don't want this, because I will never turn down chocolate, but why?"  
  
Adele gave Clara's packed lunch a pointed look. "I know you're doing this for me and I just wanted to let you know it's appreciated."  
  
"It isn't _just_ for you..." Clara trailed off, seeing that Adele didn't believe her. It was true that it wasn't just for Adele - Clara was getting sick and tired of dodging akumas when she was supposed to be eating - but she couldn't deny that Adele's akumatisation was the main reason behind her decision. "...but I wish it hadn't taken me so long to realise how much you were being inconvenienced."  
  
"You weren't the one doing the inconveniencing, it was the akumas."  
  
"I know but-"  
  
A booming sound echoed on the streets, followed by shrill screams, crashes, and thuds.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Clara groaned and dropped her head on the table. "Again!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank the sproglet for this being late today.


	30. I'm With You, You Know That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world's greatest mystery... is Ladynoir canon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Paris was known as the city of love. Paris was also the city of the Superheroes.

It should therefore come as no surprise whatsoever that the unofficial hobby of the city was shipping Ladynoir.

The ship name was coined by the Ladyblogger herself, just over two weeks after Ladybug and Chat Noir made their amazing debut, and since then there had been posts and vlogs and edited videos going up on the Ladyblog as proof. In the early days of Ladynoir they were all made by Alya herself but now most of the city shipped Ladynoir too. Fanvids, AMVs, compilations, fan theories, anything and everything you could put online, photos and videos like that flooded onto the Ladyblog daily.

Like the one Alya was eagerly shoving in all of her classmates faces that morning.

* * *

_“I’m with you, you know that.” A smirk and a wink, but an undeniably soft look in those green eyes._

_“Chat Noir and I are an unstoppable team.” Looking at him beside her in the crowd._

* * *

_A bow and a kiss to the back of her hand. “For you, my Lady, anything.”_

_“I couldn’t ask for a better partner.” A fond smile as her gaze holds his._

* * *

_“You’ll not touch her!” A ferocious roar as a black blur dove into battle._

_“Chat, no!” an anguished scream as her partner fell._

* * *

_“That akuma nearly had you!” Black clad arms reaching out for reassurance._

_“Don’t try and throw your life away like that ever again!” the two heroes clinging to each other._

* * *

Most people knew by now that all they had to do was nod along with whatever Alya said and she would quickly move on. Alix made a point to avoid Alya in those moods at all costs, lest the two girls come to blows.

Marinette, unfortunately, didn’t have that luxury. As Alya’s best friend she saw everything. Every post Alya made and every submission she received were quickly brought to her attention.

Today was no different.

Marinette had barely set foot in the school before her enthusiastic best friend pounced. She was nearly knocked down the stairs in the entry thanks to Alya’s exuberant greeting. She would have been if it wasn’t for Adrien’s quick reflexes and the lucky fact that he had arrived at school at almost the same time as Marinette.

Alya was jumping up and down in her excitement. “Girl, check out this new video on my blog!”

“But there hasn’t been an akuma for days?”

“Not an akuma video. A fan-video.”

Marinette sighed. She must have explained thousands of times that she didn’t like those type of videos - quite frankly they creeped her out - but it was something that was frequently forgotten when Alya got into one of these moods. “Alya, you know I don’t like to… _what is this_!”

She should have expected the phone in her face. She really should have. But nothing could have prepared her for the video proclaiming to have irrefutable proof that Ladybug and Chat Noir were deeply in love.

“It’s the newest upload from Ladynoir4ever - only _the biggest Ladynoir fan in the city _!” Alya was bouncing again, making it impossible for Marinette to focus on the phone that was being held just ten centimetres form her face. “And this, oh it’s just so awesome! I have to show Nino. Nino! Nino! Here!”

__

__

And with that Alya was gone, racing around her two stunned friends in order to pounce on her boyfriend. The poor boy was completely ignorant of the fate that was about to descend upon him, walking to school and listening to his music.

__

__

Marinette did her best to process what she had just (sort of) witnessed. She turned to Adrien. “Did you know about this?”

__

__

“Which this?” he asked, helping her regain her footing on the steps before falling into step next to her as they made their way to their classroom. “Alya shipping Ladynoir? _The whole city_ shipping Ladynoir? Or this Ladynoir4ever person being the biggest shipper? Because, honestly, that last one is news to me.”

__

__

Marinette could only gape at him as they took their seats. Was he… was he pouting? Was he really bothered by some random person online being called the biggest shipper in the city?

__

__

He totally was.

__

__

She groaned and buried her head in her hands. “What even is my life any more?”

__

__

The only person in the city unaware of the Ladynoir ship being the Lady herself? That was just another day for the most oblivious girl in Paris.

__


	31. Scared? Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Halloween even be scary anymore in a city with actual monsters and supervillains?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not, do not, and will not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are reading this work through an app that makes money from advertisements or that asks you to pay to read, please close the app and view my work for free on the original AO3 page.

Halloween wasn’t that big of a deal in Paris. It was pretty much just an excuse to eat more chocolate than normal and have fun with friends. For the students at Collège Françoise-Dupont that’s exactly what they thought their Halloween would be this year.

They shouldn’t have underestimated Chloé Bourgeois.

No one knew where she got the idea from but one day she had marched into school, gone straight to M. Damocles, and told him that the school was going to have a Halloween Gala to celebrate the event. She took the time to spew some excuses about socialising being good for morale, the school’s public image, and learning about another culture, but as she dictated the evening to M. Damocles everyone knew she really just wanted a party.

And a party she got. M. Damocles caved in before she even reached for her phone.

Every class was asked to contribute something to the extravagant celebration and every class was asked to dress up according to a theme. Chloé had wanted royalty but Mlle. Mendeleev drew that out of the hat for her class. Mlle. Bustier drew the theme akumas and heroes.

As the class with the most akumas they had their costumes set… but no one liked that idea at all.

It was sad faces all around for weeks before Marinette took charge and, one by one, dragged her classmates home with her to do their own personal design. Class morale improved significantly after that, even if everyone was keeping their new akuma-sona design a secret until Halloween.

And judging by the way Alya could not keep her eyes off Nino it was certainly worth the wait. Either that or she was scared.

Alya snorted. “Scared? Me? Do I look scared to you bubble brains?”

Nino grinned at her and deliberately avoided letting his eyes linger on her own stunning costume. “I don't know babe,” he drawled. “You were staring at my costume for a while.”

“I'm admiring Marinette's work. Honestly that girl is amazing, turning our akuma-sonas into such awesome Halloween outfits!”

“Not gonna lie, I was totally dreading seeing myself as the Bubbler again, but this,” he stepped back and spread his arms, doing a terrible impersonation of their model friend that had Alya in stitches of laughter. “This is _so frickin’ awesome_!”

“Everyone else agrees.”

The whole class did indeed agree. Everyone was ignoring the fact that they were supposed to be setting up tables and chairs in the gym for when the buffet opened later and stood to one side gushing over each others outfits.

Marinette had taken Chloé’s desire for a beautiful ball and meshed it together with their akuma designs to create fabulous works of art. The boys were all in suits, with not even Kim and Nino complaining about the lack of casual attire, and all the girls had gorgeous gowns tailored to their personal tastes.

Rose was in a real princess gown that merged her love of pink with her Princess Fragrance colouring and created a gown fit for royalty that was just so perfectly Rose. She had done the inverse with Juleka, matching the girl’s preferred darker colour palette with the pink of Reflekta, and creating a stunning counterpoint to Rose. They looked breathtaking together. The two had posed for hundreds of photos before leaving for the party and were still posing for more with their friends.

Mylene’s transformation was nothing short of Miraculous. With perfectly coiffed hair and carefully applied make-up, Marinette’s designs hinted and the fierce and scary Horrificator while showing the true kindness of beauty of Mylene off to the world. The heart within the monster that helped to bring Horrificator down. Ivan hadn’t wanted to overshadow his gorgeous girlfriend and so had gone with a simple stone grey suit, with his pocket square actually being the song he had written to Mylene, kept safely over his heart. They proved that love conquers all.

The rest of the class were in similar clothes, dresses and suits that they were comfortable in, highlighting the parts of their akumatisation that made them feel good about themselves.

Nino’s was the perfect example of that. His suit was high-end, something he would seriously expect to see on a runway one day, and the first thing he thought of when he saw it was Adrien. His best friend, the friend he had been akumatised for because he wanted to help. The friend who said it was still the best birthday party he had ever had. The friend who didn’t treat him any differently than before. That was what Nino preferred to think about whenever his thoughts strayed to the Bubbler. His friendship with Adrien.

His suit was the blue of the Bubbler’s outfit, highlighted with yellow, and paired with a casual red jumper. It was comfortable, stylish, and easily the best outfit that Nino had ever owned. He loved it.

Nino gestured to both of their outfits. “She did this to help us, didn’t she?”

Alya’s gown was exactly to her taste. Comfortable, easy to move in, and it had pockets for her phone everywhere. Marinette had kept the black and purple colour scheme of Lady Wifi, and the overall silhouette of her suit, but there the similarities ended. The top was cut in a cold shoulder design, purple trimmed with black, and fell to just above her knees in a tunic style. It was cinched at the waist with lace and beading reminiscent of Lady Wifi’s power symbol belt. Dark leggings and lace up leather boots in Lady Wifi purple completed the look.

Alya was stylish, comfortable, and drop-dead gorgeous in this outfit and she loved it. She knew that was Marinette’s intention from the start.

“I know my girl,” she finally answered Nino. “That’s exactly what she did for all of us. I never asked you how you were coping, did I Ni?”

Nino waved her concerns aside. “You were coping with your own, its fine.”

“You haven’t touched bubbles since that day.”

“And you can’t bear to be away from your phone and have avoided your Lady Wifi colours until today,” Nino was quick to point out. Being akumatised so close to each other didn’t allow them to help each other much, not when they were going through their own issues, but it didn’t prevent them from noticing the changes their friends had gone through. He suddenly grinned then. “You look smokin’ hot, babe. Those colours are awesome on you!”

Alya smirked. “Flattery will get you everywhere bubble boy,” she winked, chuckled at his blush, then quickly changed the topic. “Hey, is it just me, or do Marinette and Adrien seem pretty close right now?”

“They are… but I’m not helping you with another set up.”

“Oh come on. Just one. _Please_?”

“Nope.” Nino shook his head and did his best to ignore his girlfriend’s pout. He was far too weak for that. But he absolutely did not want to get roped into another ‘push-the-oblivious-dorks-together’ scheme. Not after the last one involved a fire extinguisher. “Besides, we won’t need it. Adrien’s been all over her since she agreed to make him a Ladybug costume for tonight’s Halloween party.”

“I still can’t believe she didn’t want to be Ladybug.” Alya shook her head. Who wouldn’t want to be Ladybug? Marinette’s attitude towards the heroes was incomprehensible to her. “She would be awesome as a superhero.”

“Hey, they’re both happy with their choices. Plus, this way they’re part of the class theme.”

Alya nodded. Nino was right. Marinette was happy going as Chat Noir and Adrien was happy going as Ladybug, and that was all that mattered. All that was left for them to do was to celebrate together tonight.

It was just another day in Paris when the superheroes did what they could to help akuma victims overcome the trauma of their change and learn to have fun again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Fictober 2019 is done!
> 
> I can honestly say that, while stressful at times, I loved doing this daily posting challenge. I had to plan and write ahead where I could because my sproglet is high maintenance but for the most part I was writing and posting on the day. I didn't think I could do it but I did!
> 
> A huge thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments on this story. I have been utterly overwhelmed with the positive response to this story and how many of you seem to like the scenarios I conjured up. I have to admit my OCs have grown on me, too. So much so that I foresee them appearing in my other fanfics and in Fictober 2020 when I plan to continue this fic. I really did enjoy it.
> 
> I will be posting extra stories in this series on my Tumblr so follow me there for more on Jeanne and her sisters, Claudette and Pierre, and all the other characters I created. You can also read the ongoing adventures of my sproglet and sneak peeks of other up and coming fanfics.


	32. A plea

I'm sorry this is not an actual chapter.

This is a notice to say that in 24 hours time, 7 p.m. UK time on Monday 17th February, I will be switching all of my works to private viewing meaning that only registered users of AO3 can read them.

I did not want to take this step but my works, along with the works of thousands of other authors, has been stolen from us by the Fanfic Pocket Archive Library app (@unofficialao3app on Tumblr). They took our work without our knowledge or consent and are profiting from its redistribution. Hundreds of users of this app are being charged a subscription, lining the greedy pockets of the app creator, when the work is provided here for free. I _**will not**_ allow my works to be used like this any more and so I am setting them to private tomorrow.

To my guests, I truly am sorry about this. I cannot let this theft stand unchallenged though.

Readers, I urge you to report this app and it's illegal use of AO3 fanfics. Not only are works posted on AO3 the intellectual property of the author, but the app itself is violating the Google Play Store Google developer agreement [play. google. com/about/developer-distribution-agreement. html] Article 11.2 "If You use third-party materials, You represent and warrant that You have the right to distribute the third-party material in the Product." No permission was asked or granted.

Thank you for your understanding and once again I am sorry that these steps must be taken.

** Update. 10 a.m. UK time Monday 17th February 2020. **

Thank you for your responses to this announcement. I've learned a bit more about this app since I first posted this plea. 

What they have done is to set this app up as an access point for AO3, a way into the website itself, which means in a technical sense they are not "stealing" our content. What they are doing is creating a shoddy and dysfunctional app that does _nothing_ that AO3 doesn't already do, yet they are hosting ads and charging a subscription to the poor people unlucky enough to be duped by this app. They are _profiting_ off every fanfic there. They are _profiting_ from works they themselves have not contributed a thing to, that so many authors have poured their heart and soul into, from works that have been provided for free on AO3, and they are _profiting_ from works that _cannot_ be profited from. That is the reason AO3 exists in the first place - we can share our fan works precisely because we _do not_ profit from them. Yet this person is.

Since the app is "technically" an access point and "technically" not stealing our works fighting them legally will be hard. The app is down on iOS and Android in most of Europe and the USA but I can see that it is still accessible in Russia. It may be that this app could return because of this _technicality_. I am still going to lock my works to private because of this. This despicable person will not profit from my works, not when they're against every wonderful thing AO3 does. **But** if this app remains gone I might unlock them again. I shall see what the situation is like at the end of the month and make my decision then.

In the meantime I have a driving test to get to and so I am going to put this debacle far from my mind.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to do the Fictober writing challeng out of boredom and insanity, and so here is my offering. My darling hubby helped me out with a good deal of this by being my sounding board, proofreader, grammar gremlin, and cheer squad. Thanks hubby!
> 
> He has also said that he will not be watching seasons 2 or 3 of Miraculous Ladybug (he only watched season 1 because the sproglet liked it and therefore we all had to watch it) so when I finally catch up with them I will be needing a beta reader. Any volunteers?
> 
> As this is based on season 1 only, please consider this an AU if it disagrees with something made canon in season 2 or 3. Also, please do not tell me why it is different to season 2 or 3 canon as I am trying to avoid apoilers for them until I can catch up (and yes, I am very aware that I have a lot of catching up to do).
> 
> Please follow me on my Tumblr for extras, bloopers, and cut scenes.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy my Fictober 2019 contribution.


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